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Amalfi
The quaint town of Amalfi is southeast of the regional capital Naples in Italy’s south-central region of Campania. Amalfi is the main town of the coast on which it is located, named Costiera Amalfitana. The area has since become an important tourist destination together with other towns on the same coast, such as Positano, Ravello and others, as recognized globally for its cultural contribution as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Located at the foot of the ravines of the majestic Monte Cerreto, limestone cliffs and a vast stretch of seacoast paint its landscape and bring to mind a sleepy, relaxing village with a glorious past. And although the beaches are a mecca for sun-lovers wanting to seek refuge from the hustle and bustle of urban life, there is more to this town than meets the eye.
In the past, Amalfi was the capital of The Maritime Republic of Amalfi, an important trading power in the Mediterranean in the 9th Century. Its merchants were progressive doing business in gold coins minted in North Africa to purchase grain, salt and silks from the Byzantine empires, while the rest of Italian economy revolved around the barter trade.
It is no surprise that its powerful and prestigious past has been manifest in its richy medieval landmarks in a style relevant to Southern Italy. A visit to the Cathedral of Saint Andrea from the 13th Century with the Campanile or Bell Tower as well as the convent of the Capuccini with its columns in an Arabic style will confirm a Byzantine influence borne of its centuries of cross-cultural exchange.
The Amalfi coast is famed for its production of limoncello, a lemon liqueur, red-coral jewelry and home-made paper used throughout Italy for wedding invitations.
