Amalfi Coast

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Amalfi Coast
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Amalfi Coast (Italy, October 2020) - 75 (50558355441).jpg
Coastline from Ravello
Official nameCostiera Amalfitana
Location Campania, Italy
Criteria Cultural: (ii), (iv), (v)
Reference 830
Inscription1997 (21st Session)
Area11,231 ha (43.36 sq mi)
Coordinates 40°39′N14°36′E / 40.650°N 14.600°E / 40.650; 14.600
Italy relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location of Amalfi Coast in Italy

The Amalfi Coast (Italian : Costiera amalfitana or Costa d'Amalfi) is a stretch of coastline in southern Italy overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Gulf of Salerno. It is located south of the Sorrentine Peninsula and north of the Cilentan Coast.

Contents

Celebrated worldwide for its Mediterranean landscape and natural diversity, the Coast is named after the town of Amalfi, which makes up its main historical and political centre. It is a very popular jet set destination, and has been an attraction to upper-class Europeans since the 18th century, when it was a frequent stopover on their Grand Tours.

Attracting international tourists of all classes annually, [1] the Amalfi Coast was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. [2] Atrani and Vietri sul Mare are counted among I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). [3]

History

During the 10th–11th centuries, the Duchy of Amalfi existed on the territory of the Amalfi Coast, centred in the town of Amalfi. The Amalfi coast was later controlled by the Principality of Salerno until Amalfi was sacked by the Republic of Pisa in 1137. [4]

Geography

Map of Amalfi Coast Costiera amalfitana.svg
Map of Amalfi Coast
View toward Positano from Salerno Sentier des dieux-Positano-gb.JPG
View toward Positano from Salerno

Like the rest of the region, the Amalfi Coast has a Mediterranean climate, featuring warm summers and mild winters. It is located on the relatively steep southern shore of the Sorrentine Peninsula, leaving little room for rural and agricultural development. [5] The only land route to the Amalfi Coast is the 40 kilometres (25 mi) long Amalfi Drive (Strada Statale 163) which runs along the coastline from the town of Vietri sul Mare in the east to Positano in the west. Thirteen municipalities are located on the Amalfi Coast, many of them centred on tourism. [6]

Municipalities

Municipality Frazioni Attractions
Vietri sul Mare Albori, Benincasa, Dragonea, [lower-alpha 1] Molina, Raito Church of Saint John Baptist
Cetara FuentiTower of Cetara
Maiori Erchie, Ponteprimario, San Pietro, Santa Maria delle Grazie, VeciteCollegiata di Santa Maria, Castle of San Nicola de Thoro-Plano (closed until further notice), Santa Maria de Olearia
Tramonti Campinola, Capitignano, Cesarano, Corsano, Figlino, Gete, Novella, Paterno Sant'Arcangelo, Paterno Sant'Elia, Pietre, Polvica, [lower-alpha 2] Ponte, PucaraConservatory of Pucara, Rupestrian Church in Gete
Minori Montecita, TorreChurch of Santa Trofimena and the ancient Roman villa
Ravello Casa Bianca, Castiglione, Marmorata, Sambuco, Torello Villa Cimbrone, Villa Rufolo, San Giovanni del Toro, and the Duomo (Cathedral)
Scala Campidoglio, Minuta, PontoneScala Cathedral
Atrani noneChurches of San Salvatore del Birecto and Santa Maria Maddalena
Amalfi Lone, Pastena, Pogerola, Tovere, Vettica Minore Amalfi Cathedral, and its cloister (Italian : Chiostro del Paradiso)
Conca dei Marini noneMain church of Saint John Baptist and the Emerald Grotto
Furore Fiordo di Furore, Marina di Praia [lower-alpha 3] Fjord of Furore
Praiano Vettica MaggioreChurches of San Luca and San Gennaro and Saint John Baptist
Positano Montepertuso, NocelleChurch of Santa Maria Assunta
Amalfi panorama I.jpg
Panoramic view of the town of Amalfi seen from the pier with the Amalfi Cathedral in the center

Economy

The beach at Positano Amalfi Coast from boat.jpg
The beach at Positano

The Amalfi Coast is known for its production of limoncello liqueur, made from lemon (known as sfusato amalfitano in Italian) grown in terraced gardens along the entire coastline between February and October. [7] . Another typical liqueur, by far less known than limoncello, is Concerto (literally it means "concert"), a dark-colored rosolio with pronounced spicy notes typically produced in Tramonti, whose name derives precisely from the harmony of herbs that compose it. Amalfi is also a known maker of a hand-made thick paper called bambagina , [8] symbolic of Italy’s ancient traditional technique for paper production and historically used for private writings, legal acts, and revenue stamps. [9] Other renowned local products are a particular kind of anchovy (local Italian: alici) from Cetara, and the colourful handmade ceramics from Vietri. [10]

Transport

Buses and ferries run along the Amalfi Coast, [11] as well as boat excursions from Positano and Amalfi.

Airport

Amalfi from a tour boat Amalfi Coast, Italy from a tour boat.jpg
Amalfi from a tour boat

The Salerno Costa d'Amalfi Airport is the nearest. However, the most used airport to reach the area from abroad is Naples International Airport (Napoli-Capodichino).

View of Atrani from the coast Atrani (Costiera Amalfitana, 23-8-2011).jpg
View of Atrani from the coast
Panoramic view of Positano Positano 2005a.jpg
Panoramic view of Positano

The natural beauty and picturesque landscapes of the Amalfi Coast have made it one of the most popular destinations of the world's jet set, earning it the nickname of "Divine Coast" (Divina costiera).[ citation needed ]

The rulers of Amalfi are the central figures in John Webster's Jacobean tragedy The Duchess of Malfi . The Dutch artist M.C. Escher produced a number of artworks of the Amalfi coast, [12] and Spike Milligan describes his time in Amalfi during a period of leave in the fourth part of his war memoirs, Mussolini: His Part in My Downfall . [13]

The Amalfi Coast was used for scenes of Federico Fellini's 1972 film Roma and for the 2017 American superhero film Wonder Woman , where it was depicted as the Amazon island of Themyscira. [14]

The Amalfi Coast serves as a setting for fictional racetracks in the Forza Motorsport 3 , [15] Forza Motorsport 4 and Gran Turismo 4 . It also plays host to the fictional town of Sapienza in Hitman.

The city of Positano is featured in John Steinbeck's 1953 short story Positano. [16] The city is also featured in Under the Tuscan Sun , Christopher Nolan's Tenet and the Kath and Kim movie Kath & Kimderella . [17]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Includes the localities of Iaconti and San Vincenzo.
  2. ↑ Polvica is the municipal seat of Tramonti.
  3. ↑ Partly included in the municipality of Praiano.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amalfi</span> Town in Campania, Italy

Amalfi is a town and comune in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto, surrounded by dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery. The town of Amalfi was the capital of the maritime republic known as the Duchy of Amalfi, an important trading power in the Mediterranean between 839 and around 1200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sorrento</span> Town in Campania, Italy

Sorrento is a town overlooking the Bay of Naples in Southern Italy. A popular tourist destination, Sorrento is located on the Sorrentine Peninsula at the south-eastern terminus of the Circumvesuviana rail line, within easy access from Naples and Pompei. The town is widely known for its small ceramics, lacework and marquetry (woodwork) shops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Positano</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ravello</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Ravello is a town and comune situated above the Amalfi Coast in the province of Salerno, Campania, Southern Italy, with approximately 2,500 inhabitants. Its scenic location makes it a popular tourist destination, and earned it a listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sorrento Peninsula</span>

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Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in southern Italy, especially in the region around the Gulf of Naples, the Amalfi Coast, and Sicily. It is the second-most popular liqueur in Italy and is traditionally served chilled as an after-dinner digestivo. It is also a popular homemade liqueur, with various recipes available online and in print.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maiori</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Maiori is a town and comune on the Amalfi coast in the province of Salerno. It has been a popular tourist resort since Roman times, with the longest unbroken stretch of beach on the Amalfi coastline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulf of Salerno</span> Gulf in Salerno, Campania, Italy

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atrani</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Atrani is a city and comune on the Amalfi Coast in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy. It is located to the east of Amalfi, several minutes drive down the coast.

Cetara is a town and comune in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy. It is located in the territory of the Amalfi Coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minori, Campania</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Minori is a comune in the province of Salerno, in the Campania region of south-western Italy. As a part of the Amalfi Coast, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Praiano</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Praiano is a town and comune of the province of Salerno in the Campania region of southwest Italy. It is situated on the Amalfi Coast, a prime tourist location for the region and Italy alike, between the towns of Amalfi and Positano.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tramonti, Campania</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agerola</span> Municipality in Campania, Italy

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cilentan Coast</span> Stretch of coastline in Italy

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raito (village)</span> Frazione in Campania, Italy

Raito is an Italian hamlet (frazione) of the municipality of Vietri sul Mare in the Province of Salerno, Campania. It is part of the Amalfi Coast and its population is 996.

Irene Kowaliska was a painter, ceramics artist and textiles designer, originally from Mazovia. In 1931 she accepted a job at a German-owned ceramics manufactory in Campania, and during the 1930s it was in Italy that she built and thereafter sustained her career and professional reputation.

References

  1. ↑ "Bay of Naples & Amalfi Coast History". Unique Costiera. Archived from the original on 31 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  2. ↑ "Costiera Amalfitana". UNESCO World Heritage Centre . Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  3. ↑ "Campania" (in Italian). Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  4. ↑ Matthews, Jeff. "Naples". Around Naples Encyclopedia. University of Maryland University College. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  5. ↑ "Amalfi Geography". Authentic Italy. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  6. ↑ "Amalfi People and Culture". Authentic Italy. Archived from the original on 5 August 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  7. ↑ "National cultivars". Limmi. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  8. ↑ "The Amalfi Coast Paper Museum" . Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  9. ↑ Insolitaitalia, Redazione (20 September 2016). "History of the Amalfi Paper and its Museum". Insolita Italia. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  10. ↑ Pasquale, Maria (7 June 2017). "Vietri sul Mare: The undiscovered Amalfi Coast". CNN. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  11. ↑ "Amalfi coast bus & ferries: Timetables". Theamalficoast.net. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  12. ↑ "Atrani, Coast of Amalfi". mcescher.com. 1931.
  13. ↑ see Penguin paperback edition, pp 220 and forwards
  14. ↑ "Here Are the Magical Places the Cast of Wonder Woman Stayed in Italy". cosmopolitan.com. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  15. ↑ "Forza 3's Ferrari Collection, Amalfi Coast Track Pictured". ShackNews. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  16. ↑ "Positano by John Steinbeck". FortuneCity. May 1953. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  17. ↑ "Kath and Kimderella". Time Out Worldwide. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
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