Amalfi
AMALFI
Amalfi nestles in the ravine of the Valle dei Mulini. Its churches, towers, and arcaded houses, grouped together with attractive irregularity, rise above a small harbor, and are backed by precipices of wild magnificence. In its heyday, when it was a Maritime Republic, Amalfi rivaled Pisa, Genoa, and Venice. By the 7th century the city was ruled by Doges, as Venice, and was recognized as the greatest naval power in the West. Its navel expertise led to the invention of the compass and the codification of the earliest maritime laws. In the 12th century, this great maritime republic had a population of 100,000 people who masterminded regional trade with the East. Shortly afterwards, the Normans from Sicily vanquished Amalfi and the city was repeatedly sacked by Pisa, its greatest rival. Amalfi merchants established trading posts in Byzantium, Asia Minor and Africa. In the Holy Land, they founded the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, from which the Crusader Knights of St John developed. Their symbol, the Maltese cross, is still carved on Amalfi's street comers. Webster's brooding revenge drama, The Duchess of Malfi, was based on the tragic life of Joanna of Aragon, the Duke of Amalfi's consort in the 15th.century.
The Regatta of the Four Ancient Maritime Republics, complete with galleons, is a magnificent evocation of the past, held in Amalfi every four years. Since the collapse of the republic, Amalfi sunk into oblivion until Edwardian times. As a favorite winter resort, it was then a genteel haunt for foreigners who tired of the excesses on the French Riviera. Amalfi today, with a population of 6,000, is a shadow of its former self but retains an air of faded elegance. Horse-drawn carts still ply the Lungomare dei Cavalieri for visitors' amusement, much as they did in Edwardian days. The Duomo, the glittering Cathedral, is viewed from down below. The steep walk up is a chance to appreciate the spindly Moorish archways and geometric facade, inlaid with vivid mosaics. While looking authentic, the facade was reconstructed in the 19th century, based on the medieval model, Henry Swinburne, the 18th century traveler, was not sympathetic to the Arab influences, calling the cathedral typical of the “barbarous ages, when Grecian rules and proportions were forgotten”. Yet framed by mountains and monasteries, the Norman-Saracen bell-tower presents a striking vision to visitors. The baroque interior leads to a crypt containing the remains of St Andrew the Apostle, moved here from Constantinople in 1208. Like the miraculous liquefaction of San Gennaro's blood in Naples, the cult of St. Andrew, a mysterious oil, is said to seep from his bones. Even St. Francis of Assisi declared himself a devotee.
Not to be missed :
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Amalfi nestles in the ravine of the Valle dei Mulini. Its churches, towers, and arcaded houses, grouped together with attractive irregularity, rise above a small harbor, and are backed by precipices of wild magnificence. In its heyday, when it was a Maritime Republic, Amalfi rivaled Pisa, Genoa, and Venice. By the 7th century the city was ruled by Doges, as Venice, and was recognized as the greatest naval power in the West. Its navel expertise led to the invention of the compass and the codification of the earliest maritime laws. In the 12th century, this great maritime republic had a population of 100,000 people who masterminded regional trade with the East. Shortly afterwards, the Normans from Sicily vanquished Amalfi and the city was repeatedly sacked by Pisa, its greatest rival. Amalfi merchants established trading posts in Byzantium, Asia Minor and Africa. In the Holy Land, they founded the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, from which the Crusader Knights of St John developed. Their symbol, the Maltese cross, is still carved on Amalfi's street comers. Webster's brooding revenge drama, The Duchess of Malfi, was based on the tragic life of Joanna of Aragon, the Duke of Amalfi's consort in the 15th.century.
The Regatta of the Four Ancient Maritime Republics, complete with galleons, is a magnificent evocation of the past, held in Amalfi every four years. Since the collapse of the republic, Amalfi sunk into oblivion until Edwardian times. As a favorite winter resort, it was then a genteel haunt for foreigners who tired of the excesses on the French Riviera. Amalfi today, with a population of 6,000, is a shadow of its former self but retains an air of faded elegance. Horse-drawn carts still ply the Lungomare dei Cavalieri for visitors' amusement, much as they did in Edwardian days. The Duomo, the glittering Cathedral, is viewed from down below. The steep walk up is a chance to appreciate the spindly Moorish archways and geometric facade, inlaid with vivid mosaics. While looking authentic, the facade was reconstructed in the 19th century, based on the medieval model, Henry Swinburne, the 18th century traveler, was not sympathetic to the Arab influences, calling the cathedral typical of the “barbarous ages, when Grecian rules and proportions were forgotten”. Yet framed by mountains and monasteries, the Norman-Saracen bell-tower presents a striking vision to visitors. The baroque interior leads to a crypt containing the remains of St Andrew the Apostle, moved here from Constantinople in 1208. Like the miraculous liquefaction of San Gennaro's blood in Naples, the cult of St. Andrew, a mysterious oil, is said to seep from his bones. Even St. Francis of Assisi declared himself a devotee.
Not to be missed :
- The Cathedral dedicated to S. Andrew. To be noted the facade decorated with mosaics showing Christ on the throne and the Apostles. Also very important the font, the Arc de Triomphe and the cross pearl. Considerable coffered ceiling and paintings of the Neapolitan school
- Baroque crypt which hosts the relics of S. Andrew, taken by Cardinal Pietro Capuano from the 4th crusade in 1204
- Paradise Cloister (dating back 1266), a cemetery for nobles with Roman sarcophagi and medieval frescoes, including the Crucifixion by R. Oderisio, disciple of Giotto.
- The Basilica of the Crucifix coincides with the ancient Christian basilica dating back VI century. Houses the Museum of Sacred Art
- The Cathedral's bronze doors dating back 1062 donated by the noble Pantaleone Mauro Comite, and the bronze bust of Cardinal Pietro Capuano.
- Ferriere Valley (please see walks page)
- The Museum of the hand-made paper.
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