Sorrento is a township in Victoria, Australia, located on the shores of Port Phillip on the Mornington Peninsula, about one and a half hours by car south of Melbourne. It is a largely upper-class, seaside resort area, but is also a quiet seaside township in the off-peak months of the year. It was named by the Italian founders after the southern Italian town.

History

In 1803, 30 years before the founding of Melbourne, Sullivan Bay in Sorrento became the site of Victoria's first mainland European settlement.

Due to a lack of fresh water the settlement was short lived and subsequently moved to Hobart in Tasmania. Victoria's first magistrates' court, public hospital, postal service and government printing office were established in Sorrento. The first Victorian wedding, christening and funeral services were held at Sullivan Bay.

The first settlement site overlooking Sullivan Bay includes graves believed to be of first settlers.

Sorrento Post Office opened on 10 January 1871.

A horse and steam powered tram which ran between the foreshore and the back beach opened in 1890 and closed in 1920.

Sorrento ([s̪oˈr̺ːɛn̪t̪o]; Neapolitan: Surriento [s̪uˈr̺ːi̯en̺d̪ə]) is a town overlooking the Bay of Naples in Southern Italy. A popular tourist destination, it can be reached easily from Naples and Pompeii as it is at the south-eastern end of the Circumvesuviana rail line. The Sorrentine Peninsula has views of Naples, Vesuvius and the Isle of Capri. The Amalfi Drive, connecting Sorrento and Amalfi, is a narrow road that threads along the high cliffs above the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Ferries and hydrofoils connect the town to Naples, Amalfi, Positano, Capri and Ischia. Sorrento's sea cliffs and luxury hotels have attracted celebrities including Enrico Caruso and Luciano Pavarotti.

Limoncello is a digestif made from lemon rinds, alcohol, water and sugar which is produced in Sorrento. Other agricultural production includes citrus fruit, wine, nuts and olives.

History

Roman origins

The Roman name for Sorrento was Surrentum. Legends indicate a close connection between Lipara and Surrentum, as though the latter had been a colony of the former; and even through the Imperial period Surrentum remained largely Greek. The oldest ruins are Oscan, dating from about 600 BC. Before its control by the Roman Republic, Surrentum was one of the towns subject to Nuceria, and shared its fortunes up to the Social War; it seems to have joined in the revolt of 90 BC like Stabiae; and was reduced to obedience in the following year, when it seems to have received a colony.

Sorrento is the name of many cities and towns:

Other uses:

See also

Sorrento is a town in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,227 at the 2000 census. By the 2010 census it had grown 14.2%, to 1,401 inhabitants. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Sorrento is located at 30°10′49″N 90°51′58″W / 30.18028°N 90.86611°W / 30.18028; -90.86611 (30.180229, -90.866138).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.1 km²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,227 people, 446 households, and 337 families residing in the town. The population density was 392.5 people per square mile (151.4/km²). There were 494 housing units at an average density of 158.0 per square mile (60.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 83.70% White, 14.83% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.41% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.39% of the population.

There were 446 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who were 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.20.