Amalfi, a romantic seaside resort at the end of a deep gorge, is found on the south coast ofthe Sorrento Peninsula on the Gulf of Salerno. As one of Italy's most beautifully situated resort towns, it plays host to an especially large number of visitors from Naples. As legend has it, Amalfi was founded by Constantine the Great. Mention of the city first appeared in the 6th century. As of 987 it was a direct archbishopric. In the Middle Ages Amalfi had a population of 50,000 and was ruled by a line of self-elected and later hereditary dukes. In 1077 it was annexed to the Norman Empire by Robert Guiscard. The city's lively trade with the Orient caused it to grow in prestige and wealth. Its sea power was a match for Pisa and Genoa. Amalfi's maritime law, which has gone down in history as the "Tavole Amalfitanae", ruled the entire Italian Mediterranean area from the 13th to the 16th century. Flavio Gioia of Amalfi is credited with having invented the mariner's compass. In 1135 and 1137 the city was conquered by the Pisans and subsequently diminished in importance. Today Amalfi is a peaceful and picturesque resort town.

Attractions in Amalfi and its Surroundings
The Cathedral of Sant'Andrea was erected in the 11th century and renovated in the Lombard-Romanesque style in 1203. In 1731 it was redone in the baroque style. The lovely atrium of Gothic arches was completely renovated in 1865. The present facade (renovated in 1890) is Oriental in style. The gable wall is decorated with a mosaic designed by D. Morelli. The bronze door at the end of the atrium was cast in Constantinople in the 11th century. The base of the bell tower is Romanesque while the top has Arabic-Norman forms. Inside the choir there are two columns from ancient Paestum as well as two mosaic candelabra. To the sides of the main altar there are magnificent ambos decorated with mosaics (12th/13th century). The crypt (1253) under the altar contains the relics of the Apostle Andrew. The Chiostro del Paradiso (cloisters), next to the Cathedral, were built in the 13th century in Arabic style and contain ancient sarcophagi, a collection of sculpture made in marble and mosaics. The Antichi Arsenali delta Repubblica Amalfitana of the 9th century bearing witness to its glorious maritime past. The Salons Morelli where can be admired the fourteen paintings on canvas by Domenico Morelli reproduced in mosaic on the gable of the Cathedral, a few paintings and sketches by the Amalfitan painter Pietro Scoppetta and above all the "Tavole Amalfitanae" (maritime law) of the 13th century. The former Capuchin monastery (now a hotel) is set on a rocky precipice above Amalfi, has 13th-century cloisters and affords a magnificent view of the city. - The Emerald Grotto (Grotta dello Smeraldo), 4 km west of Amalfi on the Bay of Conca dei Marini. A boat leaves from the landing and travels inside the grotto which is decorated with caryatids, statues and reliefs. The numerous stalagmites indicate that the grotto must have formerly been above the water level. The underwater creche with its ceramic figurines is worthy of notice. - The Museo delta Carta (Museum of Paper) in the Valle dei Mulini where there are some of the most ancient paper-mills of Europe still in working order.