European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 18, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Chr visitors to one of Sorrento s inlaid Wood factories browse through the showroom. At far right a Sample of the work. By Katherine Lawson if a voice were included in the typical Sorrentine music Box it would sing i keep dreaming of Sorrento for i met you in Sorrento and you gave me a memento to be treasured All my  Torna a Sorriento neapolitan dialect for come Back to Sorrento is the hands Down favorite tune in the inlaid Wood music boxes designed As mementos of the Southern italian resort town these boxes and other inlaid Wood products Are now sold in Tokyo los Angeles and places in Between. The Sorrentine intarsia Wood inlay is a mosaic formed with pieces of veneer and used to decorate trays carts plaques boxes of All sizes clocks radios and furniture. Shops with rows and Racks of inlaid Wood items have become one of Sorrento s attractions. Perched on a Cliff overlooking the Bay of Naples at the Edge of the Amalfi coast Sorrento has been in the resort business for centuries. It was already popular with the British As a Winter Retreat when the excavations at nearby Pompeii made it a Stop for those taking the grand tour. Now a Stop in Sorrento is commonly included in tour packages and the town boasts More four and five Star hotels than anywhere else in Italy. Yet it s a fairly Standard italian Seaside town attractive but not gorgeous. Sorrento is however a comfortable place scented with Citrus Trees and sea air. When an 18th-Century Queen of Naples was exiled in Sicily it was Sorrento she longed for. After their Day trips to Capri and Pompeii tired tourists can come Back to Sorrento and relax in congenial cafes restaurants and gardens. And before returning to their first class hotels they can buy some first class souvenirs. Guidebooks mentioning Sorrento s inlaid Wood describe it As a centuries old handicraft. It is but not in Sorrento. The town s historical society traces its origins to the 1840s, when some highly skilled Sorrentine cabinetmakers used intarsia to embellish furniture made for the Bourbon Royal court in Naples. One of the craftsmen had the idea of making pretty Little objects for the tourist Trade. Using Wood from the area s Lemon Orange Olive and Walnut Trees he applied the Renaissance technique to designs borrowed from the ancient mosaics in Pompeii and Herculaneum adding an occasional Rococo flourish. Visitors is Gay minor inlaid music boxes make special souvenirs purchasing the souvenirs were Able to take Home a composite piece of Italy. By the beginning of this Century Wood inlay had surpassed silk and lace As the area s major handicraft. And the items were no longer Mere souvenirs. Most of the jewelry boxes penholder trays and tables produced in the Small workshops were sent to other italian resorts. Some were exported As far As Argentina. Local sales got a boost in 1943, when artisans hurriedly produced cigarette cases and Small gift items for Allied soldiers and added . And British military insignia to their design repertoire. Now the More than 150 inlaid Wood factories and workshops in Sorrento primarily produce for Export. But the greatest selection and according to vendors the Best prices Are in Sorrento. Two factories have showrooms for local Trade and others use a shop in Sorrento s historic Section or shopping districts As their local outlet. Prices vary with the item s Quality and often with the buyer s bargaining skills. � the most popular gift items Are the musical jewelry boxes and the plaques and pictures to hang on the Wall. The plaques commonly use natural Woods to depict local scenes such As mount Vesuvius viewed through an arched trellis boats docked on a Beach a Mountain Village or a View of the sea from the Amalfi coast. Others have traditional or contemporary designs or figures from neapolitan folklore. The plaques can Cost from 15,000 to 150,000 italian lire $9.40-$94. Prices vary with size and complexity. Sandra Botticelli s or Mavera rendered in 5,000 pieces of Wood inlay by local artist Giosue de Maio costs approximately the same As a two bedroom Bungalow in Des Moines Iowa. Most buyers go for the jewelry boxes which Are usually decorated with a Floral design a lace like medallion reminiscent of Renaissance motifs or a design using mandolins and other musical instruments. Light Woods infused with Dye Are combined with mahogany Cherry and other natural Woods and finished with shiny gloss or natural Matte. Music boxes usually go for 20,000 to 200,000 italian lire $12.50-$125but the Large Multidor swered models command More. There s a Large variety of boxes available and the musical element is interchangeable. So if Torna a Sorriento or o sole Mio is not the tune of Choice it can be changed to anything from a Mozart minuet to feelings. Ammom fr4nc rtt ring in s4s Gary Miner where to buy if you have time it s a Good idea to look around before making the final Purchase. The following list is not a definitive one but it can give you a place to Start. A certificate Diga Tarizia which guarantees authenticity should be included with each item. Notturno via Fuori Mura 33. This is a showroom attached to the factory a few blocks from Piazza Tasso going away from the sea. Notturno is a third generation family business with a Large collection of furniture and Grandfather clocks As Well As Small gift items. The marked prices Are High but military personnel receive an immediate 50 percent discount. Tonato & Maresca via Degli Aranci 95. This is the other factory showroom located close to notturno on the major Street running parallel to Corso italia. The second generation family business has 75 kinds of Jex Velry boxes 25 carts 10 models of trays and 100 different kinds of pictures including some in frames ind the Primavera. La Bott Guccia via s. Maria 25 and Corso italia 137. These two shops South of Piazza Tasso have a Small but Choice. Selection. The three Sisters who operate them Are carrying on the family s tradition of catering to american military personnel. A. Cargiulo & Jannuzzi Piazza Tasso. This Well known shop has a Large selection and Good Quality but the prices May be higher than in other shops and outlets. Other shops in the Piazza Tasso area Are Coppola Petagna via Tasso 24 Ferdinando via s. Francesco 3 & 5 Ferdinando via s. Francesco 10-12 and . Diantonio Antrita & co., Corso italia 6. Getting there by car Sorrento is off the Salerno Highway a-3which can be picked up from the Rome Naples Autostrada or the Naples tangential a. Exit at Castellamare and follow signs for Sorrento. Once in town follow signs for Centro. There s a parking lot just East of Piazza Tasso. By train local trains on the Circum Vesuviano line leave regularly from the main station in Naples Piazza Garibaldi. By water hydrofoils to Sorrento leave Naples five times daily from Molo be verello the main port and twice daily from merge Lina the smaller port. Ferries from Capri also can take you to Sorrento. Katharine Lawson november 18, 1993 stripes Magazine