Amalfi

Amalfi, land of navigators and explorers, and the first Italian Maritime Republic. In the deep blue of the sky and sea, Amalfi when seen from the harbor looks like it’s been held inside a hand. Up high, the mountains almost feel designed to be a backdrop, dotted with houses.

Down below a web of picturesque alleyways and stairways lead to the grand piazza that is dominated by the Duomo (cathedral) with its staircase, polychrome facade, and golden mosaics.

A thoroughly unique scene, where historic memories intertwine with unparalleled natural beauty to leave a lasting impression.

Famous for its maritime history and expert navigators (this is where the compass was perfected), the town of Amalfi presents an original Arab-Norman architecture, which lends it a personality all of its own.

In Amalfi you can visit the Cloister of Paradise with its white Moorish arches and columns, the Arsenal of the Maritime Republic, where war-galleys were built, the Museum of Handmade Paper and the Civic Museum which contains the Tabula Amalfitana, the first code of maritime laws, dating to the 12th century.

All of these will help you gain a sense of the mythical age of the Republic, when Amalfi was rich and famous and enjoyed buoyant trade with the East.

In memory of this golden age of power Amalfi holds an Historic Regatta commemorating the Maritime Republic every four years in June.