Amalfi Guide

The Italian town of Amalfi is the largest town located along the Amalfi Coast which is in the Province of Solerno. The town lies on the shores of the Gulf of Solerno and at the base of Monte Cerreto. Along with many other towns along the Amalfi Coast such as Ravello and Positano, Amalfi has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town's written history dates back to the 6th century AD and soon after became an important maritime power by trading grain from its neighbours, slaves from the interior, salt from Sardinia and timber, in exchange for gold dinars minted in Egypt and Syria. This trade was carried out in order to purchase Byzantine silks that it then sold on to the West.

The town is used to looking after its visitors with several former monasteries having being converted into hotels. The Luna Convento was converted in the beginning of the 19th century and the Cappuccini Convento was converted in the 1880's. Celebrated visitors to Amalfi included the composer Richard Wagner and the playwright Henrik Ibsen, who both completed works whilst staying in Amalfi.

Seasonal hydrofoil routes connect the resorts on the Sorrentine and Amalfi coasts as well as Pozzuoli, Ischia, Procida, Naples, Torre Annunziata (for Pompeii), Ercolano (for Herculaneum), Capri, Salerno, Agropoli (for Paestum) and Palinuro on the Cilento Coast.