Amalfi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the most famous places on the Amalfi Coast, which owes its name to it.
Viewed from the port, this little town seems to be enclosed in the hollow of a hand. At the top, the scenery of the mountains articulated like a backdrop, dotted with houses, at the bottom a plot of narrow and winding alleys.
The small square is dominated by the famous Duomo, located in a scenic position, at the top of a steep staircase. The cathedral, built in the 6th century and dedicated to St. Andrew, impresses with its polychrome facade illuminated by enamels and mosaics. Adjacent to the Duomo is the cloister of Paradise. Its arabesque style with the splendid structure of intertwined arches, recalls a glorious past of commercial relations with the Arab world.
The town experienced its heyday between the 10th and 12th centuries, a period in which together with Pisa, Genoa and Venice it was one of the Maritime Republics. The glories of the powerful Amalfi of the past are still remembered. In fact, the city hosts, in rotation with the others once every four years, the historical Regatta of the Ancient Maritime Republics.
To find out more about the history of this town, it is worth visiting the Ancient Arsenals, where the famous galleys intended for commercial exchanges with the Orient were built. These frequent commercial relationships with the Arab world allowed the inhabitants to learn the papermaking techniques, which the Arabs in turn had imported from China.
It was precisely at the time of the Maritime Republics that here began the production of paper using the energy of the waterways of the Valle dei Mulini or delle Ferriere. The latter owes its name to the presence of the paper mills and can now be visited through a suggestive walk in nature.
Although with a very small production, the Amalfi paper is still considered one of the most valuable for artistic and luxury productions and is also used in the Vatican. A guided tour of the Paper Museum allows you to see the original machinery in operation.
How to get to Amalfi:
By car
Massa centro > Amalfi 37 km
Parking: blu lines, public and private car parks
Public transport
Massa centro > Sorrento > Amalfi SITA bus
Bivio Sant’Agata > Amalfi SITA bus
Sorrento > Amalfi Ferry
It is advisable to consult the timetables.
Tours
Marina Lobra > Amalfi Boat tour
Marina del Cantone > Amalfi Boat tour
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