Introduction to Amalfi

34km (21 miles) W of Salerno; 61km (38 miles) SE of Naples

Amalfi, the queen of the Costiera, has origins dating to the 6th century, when it was a small harbor that slowly gained importance under the Byzantine Empire. It finally declared its independence in A.D. 839, and its perfect strategic location -- opening onto a natural harbor at the mouth of a valley rich in water, yet protected by the forbidding Monti Lattari from the incursions of both Turks and Normans -- allowed Amalfi to develop into a florishing city-state. Its river valley allowed for the development of mills that produced paper for much of Europe during the Middle Ages and well into the Renaissance, while its harbor became the shipyard that fueled Amalfi's political and commercial power. It became Italy's first maritime republic, before either Pisa or Venice, and for 2 centuries it was a maritime power to be reckoned with. The small republic was rich and cosmopolitan, and its coins were widely used across the Mediterranean, from the Greek Empire to Africa to the Longobard territories. Amalfi also dominated the markets in spices, perfumes, silk, and valuable carpets.

Visitors marvel that a town so small and picturesque could reach such prominence, and indeed Amalfi's toehold among the cliffs eventually became a liability; the limited size of its land area and comparable lack of military power obliged Amalfi to accept Norman rule in 1073. Pisa, which had developed into a powerful maritime republic itself in the meantime, then sacked Amalfi in 1135; and, in 1143, a terrible seaquake destroyed large parts of the harbor, including the fortifications and the shipyards. The Amalfi of old was completely annihilated 5 years later, when the plague struck in 1348. Afterward, Amalfi became a pretty fishing village, until it was rediscovered as a tourist destination by 19th-century travelers.