Amalfi Coast - Amalfi

 Amalfi is a popular tourist destination located at the foot of Monte Cerreto. It was an important town between the 9th and 11th centuries when Amalfi was the capital of the maritime republic and an important maritime trading port. From the 1920s-30s it was a holiday destination for the wealthy and aristocratic Brits. Now it is the main coastal town on the Amalfi Coast route and known for its Byzantine cathedral and specialty Amalfi paper.

The cathedral was built in the 10th century and is dedicated to Apostle St Andrew whose relics are kept in the cathedral’s crypt. Redecorated many times in various architectural styles, the cathedral’s façade collapsed in 1861 requiring a full reconstruction of the church’s front. It was during this rebuild that the church received its current façade with its richly decorated, intricately patterned design showcasing Arab-Norman and Italian Gothic styles. Completed in 1891, the church is accessed via a wide and steep staircase, totalling 62 steps. The interior has a central nave and two aisles that are separated by 20 arches. Two rows of chandeliers hang above the pews, each one aligning with an archway softening the rich and contrasting colours of the interior.

North of the Piazza is the Amalfi Paper Museum showcasing the origins of this specialty paper. Also known as Carta Bambagina, this thick, soft, exquisite paper that is primarily used for special events and hand-sewn books was once a cheaper form of paper than parchment.

Its roots are traced back to its trade with the Arab world when the first paper invented in China (c106AD) had made its way into the middle-east. Through commercial relations the paper crossed the Mediterranean and by the 12th century Amalfi became one of the first locations to begin production of such paper in Western Europe.

The paper was made from cotton rags by beating it to a pulp, then spreading a thin layer of the pulp over a thin wire mesh and placing it inside a vat of water. When the pulp was removed, the water was drained and pressed between two pads to remove the excess water. The final stage was to hang the sheet out to dry. The production of paper took a hold over the following centuries and reached its pinnacle in the 18th century when as many as 14 paper mills existed in Amalfi. Due to new technologies, a shift towards wood and vegetable pulps for raw materials and ability to mass produce, sent the production of paper from cloth into decline. The final blow to Amalfi was the 1954 flood that destroyed most of the paper mills. Today only one paper mill remains.