..In this page, our suggestion for an excursion: the Amalfi Coast.

According to the tradition, Hercules, strength pagan god, loved a nymph called Amalfi, but his love was short: she died and Hercules buried her in the most beautiful place of the world, and to immortalize her, he gave it her name. According to the history, it was founded after Constantino's death; its origins came from Roman families. The first news are about 533, during the Greek-Gothic war, with the victory of Narsete against Teia, Amalfi is under the rule of Byzantine Empire and it starts to be a part of Naples dukedom. In the VI century it's a diocese. The bishop absolved religious services and he provided to town's defence. Some aristocratic, landowners, deprived the bishop of his politic power. In 836 Sicardo, duke of Benevento, raided Amalfi, deporting the inhabitants to Salerno. In 839, Sicardo was killed, the Amalfitans rose, conquering a power and an autonomy that remained until the end of the XI century. Amalfi became Republic in 850. Very often Amalfi united itself with Saracens and Ludovico II against Byzantines, that wanted to restore the sovereignty of the Eastern Empire. Anyway, the alliance with Saracens was unstable and not lasting. In 915, after a very cruel battle, Saracens were defeated and definitely sent away of Reggio Calabria. For all the X century and the beginning of the XI century, the Amalfitans had a commercial increase and a very reliable economic welfare, taking a very important seat in the Mediterranean, the same seat that Pisa and Genova had later. The richness of Amalfi was so big that Guglielmo Appulo wrote that only this town was so rich of gold, silver and every kind of fabrics and it was visited by Arabians, Sicilians, Africans and Indians. That's because they had by Amalfitans the most ancient codifications, in the famous "Tabula Amalphitana", that was the most accredited code of all the sailor nations of that time. It controlled the relations between ship's master and sailor, between sailors and traders. The same Flavio Gioia's legend, probably lived at the beginning of the XIV century, gives to Amalfi the credit to have perfected the compass for the navigation and given materials about the first medieval nautical papers. Ruler in spices field, in scents, in silk and precious carpets, in the X century Amalfi coined the Golden Coin, the golden and silver Tarμ, that were used in Greek Empire, in Afric and in Longobardo principate. Amalfi's development was so high thanks to its independence. In 1039 Guaimario V, prince of Salerno, took possession of amalfi's dukedom, with the dominion of Salerno on Amalfi. Pressed by salerno, the amalfitans governed by Sergio IV, asked to Roberto il Guiscardo, in 1073, to help them. Salerno capitulated but amalfitans were conquered by Normans. After the Norman king's death, in 1085, Amalfi tried to be free out of Normans power. In 1135 Amalfi suffered a horrible sack by Pisani, traitors, called for helping against Normans. It's from now that Amalfi's decadence began. In 1343 a terrible sea-quake, described by Petrarca, hit the coast, the most part of the town was destroyed (probably with it also the Ducal Palace, mentioned in a document as Palatium Amalphitanum), the fortifications were submerged, the shipyards, nautical equipments.

Full description of Amalfi on page: http://www.hotelolimpico.it/amalficoast.htm 

Hotel Olimpico
Litoranea di Pontecagnano Salerno (Italy)

info@hotelolimpico.it

Tel: +39 089 203004  Fax: +39 089 203458