Amalfi. Its maze of alleys is reminiscent of the souks of the Levant

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1 1 Its maze of alleys is reminiscent of the souks of the Levant by amalficoasting.org According to the legend, was founded in the 4th century by Romans coming back from Constantinople. First they stopped at Palinuro to found Melphe (hence they were called Melphitani) and then later moved north and founded (A-Melphes). Most probably, however, was founded in the 4th century AD when a new Roman colony in nearby Lucania came under barbarian attack and its inhabitants moved to the fertile and wellwatered hilly area around what later would become Ravello. The discovery of fragments of Roman marble proves that the area has been inhabited since Roman Imperial times. In 553 it became part of the Byzantine Duchy of Naples. In 596 it was a fortified town that resisted barbarians attacks until 838, when it was conquered and looted by Sicardo. After his death the town, which owed only token allegiance to Byzantium, declared its independence. was first ruled by two prefects, then by judges and finally by a duke, or doge. The duchy of came to embrace almost the entire north coast of the Gulf of Salerno up to Sorrento, from the sea to the Lattari Mountains. Between the early 9th and late 11th centuries, with the sea power of Byzantium in decline, became a maritime trading power. It had a near-monopoly of trade in the lower Mediterranean Sea, selling Italian products (wood, iron, weapons, wine, and fruit) in eastern markets and buying spices, perfumes, pearls, jewels, textiles, and carpets to sell in the west. A distinctive Arab-Sicilian architecture originated and developed in : the closely spaced houses, climbing up the steep hillsides and connected by a maze of alleys and stairs, are reminiscent of the souks of the Levant. In the 11th century, the Republic reached the pinnacle of its power thanks to trade with the Middle East. had its own bases in Constantinople, Beirut, Syrian Tripoli, Cyprus and Alexandria of Egypt, and the tani also built churches and hospitals in Jerusalem. For centuries the maritime laws of the Republic, the famous Tables of (preserved in the Museo Municipale, or Town Hall Museum, were considered the code of commerce throughout the Mediterranean. The nautical compass was also perfected in. The eastern connections also brought new or improved crafts to the area: paper processing, tanning, silkworm cultivation, the weaving of silk, and polychrome glazed pottery production. Wool was also spun, woven and exported throughout Italy; and coral was made into luxury objects, and pasta production and cuisine refined. The decline of the independent Republic came after the 11th century, mostly due to internal struggles. The Normans, who 2 The Duomo of

2 AMALFI 1 Piazza Flavio Gioia 2 Arsenale della Repubblica 3 Duomo 4 Chiostro del Paradise 5 Museo Civico 6 Museo della Carta ATRANI 7 Chiesa di San Salvatore de Birecto 8 Collegiata di Santa Maria

3 5 landed in the area in 1003 on their way back from the Holy Land, conquered the city in Arguably the most famous town on the Coast, is very scenic, with narrow and picturesque streets, similar to the winding streets of a medina. Piazza Flavio Gioia (#1 on the map), in front of the port, is named after the navigator who perfected the use of the compass - between the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th, the tani were the first in Europe to rely on the property of the magnet. The statue in the center of the piazza is of the navigator, Flavio Gioia. Crossing the square toward the center of town, at the beginning of via Matteo Camera, two pointed arches hide the remains of the Arsenali della Repubblica (#2), or Arsenal of the Republic (visits: 9:30am to 12:30am and 4pm-7pm), where large galleys with oars, among the biggest of the time, were built. In the center of the Piazza del Duomo is a fountain dedicated to the patron saint of, St. Andrew, but the piazza is dominated by the Duomo di (#3), or Cathedral of, set high on top of steep, wide steps. Built in the 9th century, it is the most important monument on the Coast. The original façade collapsed in 1861 and was later rebuilt. The large mosaic in the tympanum, depicting Christ enthroned among the evangelists, was also completed in that period. To the left of the prospectus, and not aligned with it, stands the bell tower, which was started before 1180 and completed in On the top of the Cathedral steps is the atrium, rebuilt after the collapse of the façade, but only partly following its original design. The space is divided in two by columns. From there, one enters the Cathedral, the Church of the Crucifix and the ancient cemetery, also known as the Cloister of Paradise. Originally there were two churches, both with three naves. The first one (the Church of the Crucifix ) is the old Cathedral, built between 959 and 1004; the second, wider and with a transept, was built some time before 1066, when its bronze doors were cast in Constantinople. In that period, an early Christian tradition of having two basilicas was common in the region and both churches were officiated at the same time. The bronze doors depicting Christ, the Virgin Mary and St. Peter and St. Andrew with silver inlaid were donated by the colony in the Holy City. The cathedral, rebuilt in Baroque style, has a Latin cross plan with three naves divided by pillars covered with inlaid marble that, in some cases, enclose ancient columns (one example is in the 7th pillar). At the entrance of the presbytery, there are two ancient monolithic columns and two candlesticks with mosaic decoration dating back to the 13th century. The altar is modern but was built with medieval marble. On the left-hand side, probably part of the primitive church, there are two small chapels with frescoes of the miracles and effigies of saints, including Gerardo Sasso of, founder of the order of Malta. In the center, the glass cases contain part of the cathedral treasure: a delicate embroidery of the Angevin Mitre (1297) made of gold, gems and 19,000 pearls; a finely chiseled Chalice in silver-gilt with enamel, pearls and gems (14 century); a 18th century Chinese Sedan from Macao; rare pieces of silver of the Neapolitan School; and the magnificent Falca (a wooden part) of a 15th century Venetian Galley used by Saracen pirates to attack the city (tradition says that the pirates were ship-wrecked by a terrible 6 Duomo

4 7 storm invoked by St. Andrew, s Patron Saint, to protect the people of ). During the 4th Crusade, Cardinal Pietro Capuano swiped Andrew's relics from Constantinople and brought them to. The relics arrived on May 8, 1208 and were placed in the cathedral's crypt, where they remain today. Towards the back, near the first column on the right, there is a Madonna with Child 16th century fresco. The Chiostro del Paradiso (#4), or Cloister of Paradise, which is accessed from the left of the atrium of the Cathedral, was built in as a cemetery for s most illustrious citizens. It was abandoned in the early 17th century and restored in The structure of entwined arabesque arches rests on 120 marble columns. On the left are tombstones and sarcophagi from different periods and chapels built by patrons between the 12th and 14th centuries. At the back, is a small chapel with a fresco of Christ Pantacreator and a magnificent Crucifixion from the school of Giotto (Roberto D Oderisio). In the collection of the Museo Diocesano (in the Church of the Crucifix ) there are fragments of 11th century mosaics from the façade of the cathedral; colorful 13 mosaic panels from two of the Cathedral s pulpits; two Roman sarcophagi adorned with bas-reliefs; two ancient columns with eagles; a 14th century statue of Justice; a 14th century sarcophagus with the Madonna and Child and the apostles; arches decorated with 13th century mosaic and fragments of the 12th century façade of the Cathedral. At the end of the right aisle of the Church of the Crucifix is the entrance to the Crypt of St Andrew. Built in the 13th century but renovated in 1719, it has two aisles, with walls covered in marble and stuccoes. During the Fourth Crusade, Cardinal Pietro Capuano swiped Andrew's relics from Constantinople and brought them to. The relics arrived on May 8, 1208 and were placed under the altar of the crypt, where they remain today. The relics are held in a silver urn under the central altar. The Cloister of Paradise The marble statues of St. Stephen and St. Lawrence are by Pietro Bernini. The Museo Civico (#5), or Civic Museum, in Piazza Municipio, (visit by appointment only) houses the "Tabula amalphitana", the code containing the maritime laws of the Republic of. It consists of 66 chapters, 21 of which are in Latin. Although this version dates back probably from the 15th century, the wordings of the code go back to a much earlier age, probably late 11th or early 12th century. Also of interest is the Museo della Carta (#6), or Museum of Hand-Made Paper, on via delle Cartiere, 24. The ancient tradition of paper making in dates to around the year 1000, when the tani came into contact with the new product in their trading with the Arab world. Charta bambagina, as it was called, cost less than the traditional parchment, there was a rapid diffusion in legal and commercial circles despite the fact that in 1230 King Federico II prohibited the use of paper for offi- 8 Crypt of St. Andrews

5 9 cial documents insisting that they continued to use parchment as it was better fitted for long-term conservation. The bambagina paper was made from rags that were cut up and put into stone tubs. The pieces were pounded into fibers using water-powered wooden mallets or pestles. The pulp was then put into vats. At this point a frame with a thin wire mesh was placed in the vat and a thin layer of pulp was spread over the mesh. The water was drained off and the pulp was put between two pads and pressed to eliminate any excess water. The sheet was then hung to dry. During the 13th century the production of paper on the Coast continued to expand with the gradual transformation of the water mills into paper mills situated in the Valle dei Mulini. After the Council of Trento (held between 1545 and 1563) ordered all parishes to keep registers of births and deaths, there was a further increase in use of paper. Solicitors, churchmen, universities and offices of the Kingdom began to use paper for their deeds. The best quality paper began to be used at the Anjou and Aragon courts, in the Spanish vice-realm and later still in the Bourbon court. As its popularity grew in the 15th century, many foreign authors had their works published in Naples utilizing this precious product. The height of production was reached in the 18th century when had 14 paper-mills and the paper-makers had their own corporation, with a congregation that met in the Church of the Santo Spirito located in the present-day Piazza Santo Spirito. Other mills were in Tramonti, Minori and Ravello. The manufacture of paper continued for most of the 19th century and with the Industrial revolution came some significant innovations, with new machines that accelerated the production. Later, disastrous floods caused the owners to move their factories to other places complicating the paper making activity. Today, only one paper mill in still produces this famous paper. Atrani Part of until the 16th century, Atrani is just a thousand yards away, toward Vietri. Populated by the most important noble families of the Republic (the Doges were crowned and buried here), it is one of the Collegiata di Santa Maria most picturesque spots on the Costiera. Its intricate road system is made of narrow streets, steps and overpasses traversing houses, orchards and gardens and is one of the best preserved examples of the of the Coast urban architecture. The Chiesa di San Salvatore de Birecto (#7), where the Doges were elected and buried, is in Piazza Umberto I, the center of the town. The church was founded in 940 and completely transformed in The portal, with 12th century carved doorposts, was closed by a bronze door, which was moved to the Collegiata di Santa Maria. The interior has three naves. Along the right one, there is a 12th century piece with two peacocks side by side with their feathers furled, divided by a palm tree with a bird nesting. The Collegiata di Santa Maria (#8) with a spectacular view of the Gulf of Salerno, is a monumental complex built in 1274 but whose use changed several times. It has a Baroque façade, a majolica dome and an elegant bell tower. The church has a bronze door, similar to that of the Cathedral of, which was cast in Constantinople. 10