THE AMALFI COAST
salerno, amalfi, ravello, and positano

the far side of the sorrentine peninsula is known as the amalfi coast. although less populated nowadays than the sorrento side of the peninsula, several important medieval towns were located there. indeed, before naples became the capital of southern italy under the bourbon kings, the wealthiest and most important towns were salerno and amalfi. Luckily for them, they were left in history's wake, and their medieval character has remained.

only salerno is a big modern city, but its downtown core is still a medieval town, with narrow and winding streets.

the cathedral of salerno, built in the 11th century, is supposed to contain the relics of st. matthew.

like many older churches in italy, the cathedral of salerno contains a large atrium in front of the main entrance to the church. in the middle ages, weddings typically took place in this outdoor space and not inside the church.

the detail of the church is meticulous.

inside the cathedral are pulpits dating from the 12th century.

13th-century mosaics are also preserved in the interior.

our next stop on the amalfi coast was ravello, a town high above the coast, with spectacular views for miles.

these photos were taken from the villa rufolo, built in the 13th century by one of the wealthy noble families of the town, and the summer residence of several medieval popes.

the buildings show the moorish influence that made itself felt in southern italy in the middle ages.

the grounds are very well maintained, as the villa is home to a summer music festival.

And of course, there is the fabulous view from most parts of the gardens.

we wandered around the town, had lunch on an outdoor terrace, in sight of the cliffs and vinyards hanging onto the slopes.

the cathedral of ravello, also built in the 11th century, contained an even more beautiful 12th-century pulpit.

the mosaic images were spectacular.

the columns of the pulpit were supported by nine sculpted lions.

down the hillside from ravello was the town of amalfi.

three amalfi fishermen.

amalfi is also home to a beautiful medieval cathedral.

the cathedral's decor shows how wealthy the people of amalfi once were.

the cloister of the cathedral shows the beauty of the moorish influence.

remnant of medieval sculpture: a man and a lion. is it daniel? samson?

a damaged medieval mosaic in the cloister: presumably, the face of christ was stolen by an art thief, probably recently.

farther west, the amalfi coast becomes more ruggedly beautiful.

built into this hillside was this set of miniature houses. according to the guide book, these were used as 3-dimensional maps, indicating in practical terms the location of houses on the steep hillsides.

the town of positano, mostly modern vacation homes and hotels.

the uninhabited portions of the amalfi coast are strikingly gorgeous.

brian managed all of the hairpin turns amazingly well. All three of us agreed that ravello was our favorite stop that day.