The town of Amalfi, which gives its name to the coast between Vietri sul Mare and Punta Campanella in Sorrento, is one of Campania’s most renowned tourist centers.
Amalfi is a constant attraction for tourists from all over the world, an eternal springtime of chromatic nuances that vary from hour to hour and make the sea absolutely incomparable. In this corner of paradise, history and legend intertwine to form an inseparable whole. There’s a wide range of accommodation on offer, from hotels and B&Bs to residences and magnificent villas.
When you arrive in Amalfi, you’ll want to take a stroll and explore all the narrow streets and monuments, as well as the main road that runs from the central square and connects all the most interesting places. We recommend you take via Lorenzo d’Amalfi, via Capuano, via delle Cartiere and, above all, don’t miss the Cathedral of Sant’Andrea, the Cloister of Paradise, the Fountain of Sant’Andrea and the Paper Museum and, of course, the splendid sea that bathes the Amalfi Coast.
For those who love walking, we recommend the Valle delle Ferriere, a fascinating nature reserve behind Amalfi. You can walk along streams and old factories that once produced Amalfi’s typical handmade paper. After discovering Amalfi’s beauties, the paper mills, the Duomo and the Arsenale, and after shopping in the quaint boutiques and numerous craft stores, it might be a good idea to take a boat trip along the coast to discover its many beaches.
Today, Amalfi’s economy is based mainly on tourism and agriculture: lemons and vineyards are renowned, giving life to excellent local wines of incredible variety, including the classic Aglianico.
History
According to tradition, Hercules, the pagan god of strength, loved a nymph named Amalfi: but his love was short-lived.
She died and Hercules buried her in the most beautiful spot in the world, and to immortalize her, he named the town he built after her.
Amalfi was founded after the death of Constantine, and traces its origins back to Roman families who, on their way to Constantinople, were surprised by a storm in the Gulf of Policastro. There, they founded the town of Melphes (today’s commune of Melfi), then moved further north to settle in present-day Amalfi, giving it the name “A-Melphes”.
From the 9th century onwards, it was also the first Italian Maritime Republic, before Genoa, Pisa and Venice. Precisely for this reason, around the 11th century, it was in Amalfi that the Amalfi Tables were compiled, the first maritime code regulating traffic and trade, and establishing the rights and duties of crew members. The Amalfi Tables were used throughout the Mediterranean until the end of the 16th century.
Every four years in Amalfi, between May and July, the Regatta of the Ancient Maritime Republics takes place. This is a historical re-enactment dating back to 1995, celebrating the companies of the four great Italian Maritime Republics.
