Amalfi

Amalfi is a town of 4,572 inhabitants in the province of Salerno, in Campania, Italy. It lies about 14 km west of Salerno, the provincial capital.

The municipality covers 6.1 km², with a density of 750 inhabitants per km².

The nearest airport is Salerno (QSR), about 26 km away as the crow flies.

A short history

Amalfi was the first of the Italian maritime republics. Between the ninth and the eleventh century its ships traded with Byzantium, Egypt and Syria; its maritime code, the Tavole Amalfitane, was used around the Mediterranean for centuries, and its merchants founded in Jerusalem the hospital from which the Knights of Malta descend. Conquered by the Normans in 1131, it was sacked by Pisa and half destroyed by a sea storm in 1343.

Events and festivals

On 27 June and 30 November the town honours its patron St Andrew: the bearers of his silver statue run up the sixty-two steps of the cathedral. Every four years, in early summer, Amalfi hosts the Regatta of the Ancient Maritime Republics against Genoa, Pisa and Venice, with a costumed parade. On New Year's Eve fireworks light the bay. In summer there are concerts in the cloister.

Getting there

There is no railway. The simplest way is the ferry from Salerno, thirty-five minutes, from spring to autumn; Salerno is reached by high-speed train from Naples and Rome. Buses run along the coast road from Salerno and from Sorrento through Positano: slow, crowded and spectacular. In summer driving is restricted on alternate days by number plate, and parking is scarce and dear.

Amalfi on the map

Nearby towns

All towns in the province of Salerno →