Via San Cesareo

Via San Cesareo is a pedestrian lane in the old town of Sorrento, Campania, Italy, and the traditional shopping street of the historic centre, about a two-minute walk from Piazza Tasso. The narrow, stone-paved lane is lined with small shops and workshops selling the typical products of the Sorrento area: limoncello and other lemon liqueurs, lemon-scented soaps and sweets, inlaid wood boxes and music boxes in the local tarsia style, embroidered linens and lace, and ceramics from the Amalfi Coast. Many shops offer tastings of limoncello and local liqueurs, and some sell regional foods such as olive oil, preserved lemons and pasta. Overhead, the lane is shaded by balconies and awnings that keep it cooler in summer, and the light at dusk is warm and busy. Visitors spend 45 to 90 minutes browsing, comparing prices and stopping for coffee, gelato or an aperitivo. Shops are usually open from 9AM to 1PM and 4PM to 11PM, closing for the afternoon pause. The street is at its liveliest in the evening, when locals and visitors take a stroll and the lanterns and window displays come on; photographers like the view along the lane toward the arches and the side alleys. Midday and late afternoon in summer can be crowded with tour groups, while mornings are quiet. Prices are higher than in less central streets, so comparing items and asking about origin is sensible; many items sold as local may be imported. Entry to the street is free. It combines well with a visit to the museum of inlay work, the Duomo and the Sedil Dominova, all within a few minutes on foot.