Amalfi: history, land and atmosphere

An ancient maritime republic, its founding is attributed by some sources to the Romans. From the 9th century onwards, alongside Pisa, Venice and Genoa, Amalfi sought to gain control of the Mediterranean Sea.

by Alessia Giannino

Amalfi is one of the most renowned tourist destinations in Campania. Since 1997 it has given its name to what we know as the Amalfi Coast, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History

An ancient maritime republic, its founding is attributed by some sources to the Romans.

From the 9th century onwards, alongside Pisa, Venice and Genoa, Amalfi sought to gain control of the Mediterranean Sea. The town saw its greatest splendour in the 11th century, but a rapid decline soon followed, reaching its peak with a storm that destroyed much of the town.

Of great importance is its paper-making industry, so much so that, even today, Amalfi remains highly significant for the production of its fine papers.

Every year, especially during the summer, the town is full of tourists (among them many internationally renowned VIPs), on whom its economy is largely based: the sea and the little streets of Amalfi, in fact, draw travellers from every corner of the world each year, not to mention that they represent the main features around which the wedding tourism booming in the area revolves.

The Cathedral and the Churches

The town's most celebrated monument is undoubtedly the Cathedral, built in Arab-Sicilian style, dedicated to Sant'Andrea (Saint Andrew), the town's patron saint. The building is made up of several churches from different eras, so rather than a single cathedral, one might more accurately speak of a complex.

According to legend, in 1218 San Francesco d'Assisi (Saint Francis of Assisi) visited this magnificent building to venerate the apostle's relics and, captivated by the beauty of the place, stayed in the town for two years. During this time he founded the convent of Santa Maria degli Angeli, later dedicated to Sant'Antonio (Saint Anthony).

The Church has a single nave, renovated in the seventeenth century in a Baroque style.

The cloister can only be visited on the afternoon of the feast day of the saint from Padua, and it reflects the Franciscan simplicity of its design.

There are also a great many churches in Amalfi: the Basilica del Crocifisso and the Diocesan Museum, the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Church of the Madonna di Pompei, the Church of San Nicola dei Greci, the Church of the Addolorata, the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Rosario, the Church of Maria SS. Assunta in Cielo, the Church of the Madonna del Pino, the Church of Santa Marina, the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie, the Church of San Pietro and the Church of San Michele Arcangelo.

Other places of interest include the Fontana di Sant'Andrea (Fountain of Saint Andrew), featuring a sculpture of the patron saint carved in the eighteenth century. It was originally placed right by the steps of the Cathedral, but in the twentieth century it was moved. Another important fountain is that of Cap 'e Ciuccio (Donkey's Head), which takes its name from the fact that it was here, where the water still flows today, that the donkeys coming from the Valle delle Ferriere would come to drink.