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Torre dello Ziro tower was built in 1480 by the Duke of Amalfi, Antonio Piccolomini, during a time of plaguing attacks by the Saracens. Constructed along with a fortress to provide protection and advance warning, the round stone lookout enjoys splendid views of the Gulf of Salerno and the villages scattered around the hills and on the seafront.
It is said that the Duchess of Amalfi, Giovanni d'Aragon, was locked up in the tower with her two sons and eventually murdered here for her scandalous affair with the butler. Some say they can hear her crying as they pass the appealing ruins.
To reach the Torre dello Ziro, you have to go for a walk. Start in the village of Pontone, below Scala and follow the signs toward Atrani down the staircases and pathways. You'll then find signs directing you to the Torre. Along the way you'll get to see the splendid Villa Cimbrone in Ravello and other lovely scenes. The tower itself is basks in the sun, despite its dark legendary past, overlooking the sapphire waters and pastel colors of Atrani and Amalfi below.
References:Saint-Georges de Boscherville Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey. It was founded in about 1113 by Guillaume de Tancarville on the site of an earlier establishment of secular canons and settled by monks from the Abbey of Saint-Evroul. The abbey church made of Caumont stone was erected from 1113 to 1140. The Norman builders aimed to have very well-lit naves and they did this by means of tall, large windows, initially made possible by a wooden ceiling, which prevented uplift, although this was replaced by a Gothic vault in the 13th century. The chapter room was built after the abbey church and dates from the last quarter of the 12th century.
The arrival of the Maurist monks in 1659, after the disasters of the Wars of Religion, helped to get the abbey back on a firmer spiritual, architectural and economic footing. They erected a large monastic building one wing of which fitted tightly around the chapter house (which was otherwise left as it was).