Amalfi

Amalfi is a common in the Province of Salerno in the area Campanie in Italy.

Geography

Amalfi is located in the gulf of Salerno in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Côte amalfitaine is mainly made up of rock cliffs. The city in itself is established on the walls and at the bottom of a throat opening on the port and dominated by the mount Cerreto (1 315 m).

History

Amalfi was one of the main ports of Europe of 9th at the 12th century.

The first mentions of Amalfi go back to the 6th century. The city quickly became a maritime power making the trade of cereals, salt and the slaves, exporting structural timber towards Egypt and Syria and important in occident the silk trade of the Byzantine Empire. The sailors of Amalfi, the first of Occident to use the compass, made the fortune of the city. At the 9th century, the merchants amalfitains used already a currency out of gold whereas most of Italy was still with a barter economy. From the IX to the XII centuries Amalfi was the main port of occident with much of commercial exchanges with the East.

The relations between Amalfi and the East are still illustrated at present by the cathedral whose doors were molten with Constantinople in 1066 and conveyed until there by the sea. Also in the middle of the 11th century, of the Amalfitains merchants established in Jerusalem were at the origin of the foundation of the Order of the Hospital.

The republic independent of Amalfi reached a population of approximately 70.000 people when in 1131, it was conquered by the king Roger of Sicily. The city passed in 1137 under the domination of Pisa and started to decline quickly. However, the Tables amalfitaines , which were the first maritime law, were used to regulate navigation in all Mediterranean until in 1570.

At present

At present, Amalfi is a very tourist city. The beauty of the natural site, the maze of narrow medieval streets and the particular mixture of influence cultural come from all Mediterranean made of it a city classified with the world heritage of UNESCO since 1997.

Amalfi is also known for its production of lemons of quality and its paper makes hand.

Amalfi takes part in the regattas of the old maritime republics , competitions between 4 crews of oarsmen of which the first edition take place in 1956, and who opposes Genoa, Venice, Pisa and Amalfi . The demonstration changes city each year and the regattas themselves are preceded by a large procession pointing out the glorious times of each of the four cities.

Administration

Hamlets

Lone, Pastena, Vettica, Pogerola, Tovere

Communes bordering

Agerola (NA), Atrani, Conca dei Marini, Furore, Scala

To see too

External bonds

Official site of the commune
Inheritance of UNESCO

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