As this itinerary climbs along a wooded path, we opted for stone and marble sculptures instead of ceramic panels so the art would blend better with the natural surroundings. Thirty stone and marble sculptures by Mao were strategically placed along the wooded path that leads to the Dominican convent of Santa Maria a Castro.
The Route of the Rupestrian NaturArte Trail
Via Croce, via San Giuseppe, Convento di Santa Maria a Castro
Before setting off on the trail, take a moment to connect with the spirit of this NaturArte path. Watch the video to discover Mao’s story and artistic vision
Mao’s artworks
Mao’s artworks emerge from the rock with striking expressiveness, evoking an ancient world of timeless impressions and lasting emotions. His carvings give life to the stone, revealing faces, stories, and memories etched into the surface. The works blend seamlessly with the trail that winds up to Santa Maria a Castro, where you can continue your hike along a path that leads to the famous Path of the Gods.
Connected to NaturArte Paths
Praiano Naturarte. Path 3: Patrizia Marchi
Along the Path: Other Points of Interest
Church of Santa Maria a Castro (San Domenico)
A place where silence becomes prayer and the gaze embraces the infinite
Perched at 364 metres above sea level, high on the mountain that shelters Praiano, the Church of Santa Maria a Castro stands, beside the ancient Convent of San Domenico, now uninhabited, yet still rich in presence and quiet majesty. The site is reached via the NaturArte Trail – Francesco Mangieri, a scenic mountain path that begins in Via Croce and climbs through dry-stone terraces, broom shrubs and olive trees. Along the route, stone sculptures by the Amalfitan artist Mangieri appear like natural outcrops, silent companions that guide the visitor without disrupting the purity of the landscape.
At the summit, you’re met with a view that truly defies words: Positano, the Faraglioni of Capri, the Li Galli islands, and the long arm of Punta Campanella, all stretch before you like a divine canvas. It’s easy to understand why this place was revered as sacred for centuries. The name “Castro” comes from latin castra, meaning “fortress”, and the church may well have been built atop a site used for both defence and worship. A pre-Christian altar, now integrated into the first nave, seems to echo these ancient devotions.
The earliest documented mention dates to 1430, when the left nave was constructed. In 1599, the entire complex was donated to the Dominican friars, who added a convent and significantly altered the layout: closing the southern portico to create a new nave with the altar of Saint Dominic, and repurposing two side naves as burial spaces, evidenced by the draining niches uncovered during restoration. The Dominicans remained until the Napoleonic suppression of religious orders in the 19th century, after which the church came under the administration of San Gennaro parish.
Today, the church spans five naves, bearing witness to centuries of spiritual and architectural evolution. Highlights include:
- a fresco of the Madonna and Child, seated in a classical throne-canopy and surrounded by saints and angels; its two-tiered composition shows Iberian influence above (with Christ Pantocrator flanked by Saints Peter and Paul) and a Marchigian style below;
- a radiant depiction of the Holy Spirit in the central nave;
- the primitive chapel, accessed via the left nave, with three moving frescoes: the Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, Saint Bernardino of Siena, and the Burial of Christ.
The adjacent convent, built over two floors, mirrors the architectural style of traditional Amalfitan homes. On the ground floor: a cistern and refectory; on the upper level: four monastic cells, a kitchen, and a wood oven. Its double vaulted ceilings are a distinctive local technique that ensured insulation and structural integrity. In one of the cells, a faded Crucifixion fresco still clings to the wall, fragile yet enduring.
Today, Santa Maria a Castro is more than a monument, it’s a sanctuary of memory, spirit and landscape. Every shadow, every brushstroke, every stone tells a story. It’s not merely a destination, but an experience: a pilgrimage into the most profound soul of the Amalfi Coast.