Everything about Amalfi totally explained
» Amalfi is also a town in the Antioquia Departament in Colombia.
Amalfi is a town and commune in the
province of Salerno, in the region of
Campania,
Italy, on the
Gulf of Salerno, 24 miles southeast of
Naples. It lies at the mouth of a deep
ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto (1,315
meters, 4,314 feet), surrounded by dramatic
cliffs and coastal scenery. The town of Amalfi was the capital of The Maritime Republic of Amalfi, an important trading power in the Mediterranean between 839 and around 1200.
In the
1920s and
1930s,
Amalfi was a popular holiday destination for the British
upper class and
aristocracy.
History
» See also Duchy of Amalfi and Archdiocese of Amalfi for the ecclesiastical history.
Amalfi is first mentioned in the
6th century, and soon acquired importance as a maritime power, trading its grain, salt and slaves from the interior, and even timber, for the
gold dinars minted in
Egypt and
Syria, in order to buy the
silks of the
Byzantine empire that it resold in the West. Merchants of Amalfi were using gold coins to purchase land in the
9th century, while most of Italy worked in a
barter economy. In the 8th and 9th century, when Mediterranean trade revived it shared with
Gaeta the Italian trade with the East, while
Venice was in its infancy, and in
848 its fleet went to the assistance of
Pope Leo IV against the
Saracens.
An independent republic from the seventh century until 1075, it rivalled
Pisa and
Genoa in its domestic prosperity and maritime importance. It had a population of some 70,000, reaching an apogee about the turn of the millennium, during the reign of
Duke Manso (
966–
1004). Under his line of dukes, Amalfi remained independent, except for a brief period of
Salernitan dependency under
Guaimar IV.
In
1073 it fell to the
Norman countship of
Apulia, but was granted many rights. A prey to the Normans who encamped in the south of Italy, it became one of their principal posts. However, in
1131, it was reduced by King
Roger II of Sicily, who had been refused the keys to its citadel. The
Holy Roman Emperor Lothair, fighting in favour of Pope
Innocent II against King Roger of Sicily, who sided with the
Antipope Anacletus, took him prisoner in 1133, assisted by forty-six Pisan ships. The city was sacked and Lothair claimed as part of the booty a copy of the
Pandects of Justinian which was found there.
Amalfi was a populous city between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. In
1135 and
1137, it was taken by the
Pisans and rapidly declined in importance, though its maritime code, known as the
Tavole Amalfitane, was recognized in the
Mediterranean until
1570.
In medieval culture Amalfi was famous for its flourishing schools of law and mathematics.
Flavio Gioia, who is traditionally considered the first to introduce the
mariner's compass to Europe, is said to be a native of Amalfi.
In
1343 a large part of the lower town was destroyed by a
tsunami, and its harbor is now of little importance.
Main sites
Amalfi occupied a high position in medieval architecture; its cathedral of Sant' Andrea, of the eleventh century, the
campanile, the convent of the Capuccini, founded by
Cardinal Capuano, richly represent the artistic movement prevailing in Southern Italy at the time of the Normans, with its tendency to blend the Byzantine style with the forms and sharp lines of the northern architecture.
Burial place of Saint Andrew
In 1206
Saint Andrew's relics were brought to Amalfi from Constantinople by the Amalfitan
Pietro, cardinal of Capua, following the
Sack of Constantinople by the
Crusaders after the completion of the town's cathedral. The cathedral, dedicated to St. Andrew (as is the town itself), contains a tomb in its crypt that it maintains still holds a portion of the
relics of the
apostle. A golden
reliquary which originally housed his skull and another one used for
processions through Amalfi on holy days can also be seen.
During
Mass on these holy days, St Andrew's relics are said to exude a liquid called "St. Andrew's Manna". The faithful are anointed with the liquid, and many believe it to be
miraculous.
Today
Amalfi is the main town of the coast on which it's located, named
Costiera Amalfitana, and is today an important tourist destination together with other towns on the same coast, such as
Positano,
Ravello and others. Amalfi is included in the
UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The Amalfi coast is famed for its production of
Limoncello liqueur and home-made paper used throughout Italy for wedding invitations, visiting cards and elegant writing paper. The city is home to the
Museo della Carta, a paper-making museum.
Three traditional events draw numerous visitors to Amalfi. First are the
feast days of
Saint Andrew (25-27 of June, and 30 November), celebrating the city's
patron saint. Then there's "Byzantine New Year's Eve" (31 August) celebrating the beginning of the New Year according to the old civil calendar of the
Byzantine Empire The third event is the Ancient
Regata (first Sunday in June), a traditional rowing competition among the four
Sea Republics: Amalfi,
Genova,
Pisa,
Venice. This event is hosted at every year by a different city, so it comes to Amalfi once every four years.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Amalfi'.
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