Amalfi is an Italian town of 5,345 inhabitants in the province of Naples and Salerno.
Since 1997, the Amalfi Coast, which takes its name from Amalfi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Its foundation goes back to the Romans (his coat of arms bears the inscription descendit former patribus Romanorum). From the ninth century, the first (in chronological order) between the maritime republics, rivaled Pisa, Venice and Genoa for control of the Mediterranean Sea.
The Maritime Code of Amalfi, better known as Tables Coast, had a great influence until the seventeenth century.
Amalfi reached its zenith in the eleventh century, then began a rapid decline: in 1131 it was conquered by the Normans in 1135 and 1137 and sacked by Pisa. In 1343, then, a storm resulting tsunami destroyed much of the city.
The most famous monument is certainly the Amalfi Cathedral in Arab-Sicilian style and now dedicated to St. Andrew, patron of the city. In fact more than one should speak of Duomo Cathedral complex, as the current building is overlapping and coaching of the various churches of different eras. The first building dedicated to Christian worship, was an early Christian church dating from the sixth century AD, as in many similar cases throughout Italy, probably replaced a temple dedicated to Roman gods. Between the sixth and ninth centuries AD, the first cathedral built upon a previous Early Christian, was dedicated to the Blessed Mary of the Assumption, the first patron of Amalfi.
By tradition, each year a crew of rowers participate in Amalfi Regatta of the Ancient Maritime Republics challenging the arms of the cities of Genoa, Pisa and Venice.
For a misinterpretation of a Latin text, which instead reported that the invention of the compass was given by historian Flavio Biondo to Amalfi, the philologist Giambattista Pio claimed that the compass was invented dall'amalfitano Flavio Gioia. The text in question (in Campania Amalphia veterinary magnetis usus inventus Flavio traditur), however, do not understand Flavio as the inventor of the compass, but only as one who reported the news just Flavio Biondo. However it seems that its sailors Amalfi were among the first to use that tool, and the correct name of the probable inventor of the compass would be John Gioia.
Particularly flourishing in the city's history, and still alive in only two remaining paper on the many present and now in ruins, is the paper industry, linked to the production of fine paper of Amalfi. In town it is possible to visit the Museum of Amalfi paper.
