Amalfi
Along the Amalfi Coast in Campania, Italy is the town for which this part of the country was named, Amalfi. This town is located in the Salermo province and is surrounded by breathtaking coastal scenery and dramatic cliffs.
To say Amalfi has a rich history is an understatement, between the 9th and 13th centuries; it was a prominent trading power and also served as the capital city of the Republic of Amalfi.
As recently as the 1920s and 30s, Amalfi was recognized as a major holiday destination, especially for the aristocracy of Great Britain.
Amalfi is known for producing its unique Limoncello liqueur, it is also known for the home-made paper industry. The paper they produced is used throughout the country for visiting cards, wedding invitations as well as elegant writing paper. It comes as no surprise, then, that it’s also home to a paper-making museum called the Museo della Carta.
There are three big events that draw visitors to the city each year. First, on June 25 – 27 are the feast days of St. Andrew, in honour of Amafli’s patron saint. Byzantine New Year’s Eve is held August 31 and celebrates the start of the new year by the old calendar of the Byzantine ancient empire.
The third big festival, held on the first Sunday of every June, is the Ancient Regata. This is a rowing contest held between Italy’s four sea republics, one of them being Amalfi.
One of the major attractions that everyone wants to see in Amalfi is the 10th century cathedral known as The Duomo. Along with the Grotta dello Smeraldo, which is right next to it, this part of Amalfi ranks up there with Capri’s Blue Grotto.
Every inch of the cathedral is impressive, two aisles and one nave are richly baroque and it has impressive bronze doors, made in ancient Constantinople.
A few days in Amalfi and you will feel like the past and the future have met, and that you were there to witness the event.
