Furore is a small village perched on a mountain 300 meters above sea level, overlooking one of the world’s most beautiful coastlines: the Amalfi Coast.
In addition to the natural beauty of the fjord, Furore boasts splendid medieval churches (St. James the Apostle, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Elias, the rock chapel of St. Barbara, the rock church of St. Catherine of Alexandria in the fjord village), two parks (Giardino della Pellerita and Villa della Storta). Also worth a visit is the museum dedicated to Italian actress Anna Magnani, who filmed Rossellini’s L’Amore here, and the many nature trails that lead from the sea to the hilltop.
The Furore fjord is one of the many wonders of this corner of the Campania region, for its magical atmosphere between legend and reality. One thing’s for sure, spending a day here will become a memory to carry in your heart forever.
The fjord bridge
Located 30 meters above the surface of the sea, the bridge over the Furore fjord is not only an architectural monument but also a very useful service.
Thanks to its presence, in fact, all the towns on the Amalfi Coast are linked by a single road. The beauty of this bridge almost naturally decorates the fjord below, enclosing it as if in a frame.
The bridge consists of a wide, round arch and is suspended above the deepest point of the sea, which is also why a world-famous diving competition is held here every year in summer.
Diving competition
MarMeeting is the now historic event, conceived in the 1990s, that celebrates the sea and courage.
The absolute protagonist is the high bridge overlooking the fjord and a platform erected leaning towards the deepest part of the sea to allow internationally renowned divers to make their throws.
Thanks to the beauty of the site, diving competitions in Furore Fjord attract the interest of fans and media from all over the world.
Watching the diving competition from a boat, at a safe distance but with the whole panorama in front of you, is an opportunity not to be missed.
History
Furore is called “the town that doesn’t exist”, because it has no real map.
The houses seem to be stuck here and there on the rocky hillside, linked by narrow streets and alleys that don’t seem connected to each other. In fact, it’s not easy to live here, and in the past not everyone was able to adapt because of the furious storms that gave the place its name.
In Roman times, it was called Terrae Furoris and Casanovae, but over the centuries the latter name was abandoned and Terra del Furore (Land of Fury) remained simply Furore.
Between the 9th and 13th centuries, during the time of the Maritime Republic of Amalfi, Furore was an extension “outside the walls” of Amalfi itself. It was not until the late Middle Ages that the village succeeded in having itself elected “universitas” and its own mayor, making it an autonomous municipality.
In 1752, the name Furore began to appear more frequently in chronicles and historical archives, although its population never exceeded 800 and its economy only discovered tourism very late on.
Its semi-isolated position, due to the impermeable cliffs, meant that the area was always safe from outside attack and, as a result, over time, not only the fishing activity, which has always been present, but other resources began to flourish: in particular, the rich production of olive oil, the manufacture of paper derived from the maceration of fabrics and the working of stone for construction purposes.
Other specialties of the Furore economy were silk manufacturing, between the 18th and 19th centuries, and fresh pasta. In fact, Furore’s macaroni is still famous today.
Legend has it that many of Amalfi’s “undesirables” were confined here, but the reality is that wealthy Neapolitan families in search of relaxation gladly took refuge in Furore. It was they who, unwittingly, launched the first tourist industry at the end of the 18th century, and among the most important were the Florio, Cuomo, Candido and Summonte families.
The latter, who regularly received taxes from the village’s inhabitants, bequeathed to the population a rich foundation that provided a dowry each year to a “poor and honest deserving spinner”, in order to encourage her marriage!
Since 1990, tourism to Furore has increased, thanks to the worldwide distribution of images of the place, and in particular of the fjord, with international diving competitions held on the bridge.
