Amalfi and Minori

Our view this morning was a sun-drenched beach scene. After breakfast we walked the promenade along the Mediterranean, and spent the morning exploring the village.

MINORI

Minori (once known as Reghinna Minor), is home to the splendid Villa Marittima Romana, an ancient roman villa considered to be one of the most important monuments on the whole Amalfi Coast. The villa is thought to have been the seaside residence of an influential member of the imperial court. The nearby stream would have guaranteed ample supplies of water with which to fill the swimming pool and baths. Despite almost 2000 years having passed, the villa's Nympheaum still conserves a number of its original frescoes and mosaics.

Minori's cathedral, dedicated Santa Trofimena, was restored in the 19th century and has three light-filled aisles and a 17th century marble pulpit. The lower basilica houses the relics of the town's patron saint.

In the 18th century, Minori became famous for its watermills and pasta factories and to this very day, tourists come to taste the town's delicious pasta, served in the small restaurants nestled between the brightly painted houses.

We caught the 12:00 noon bus to the town of Amalfi. Tom wanted to drive, but it is very expensive to park there, and I was perfectly happy to let someone else do the driving !

THE AMALFI COAST

The Amalfi Coast lies along the southern flanks of the Sorrento Peninsula and is a stretch of coastline in Southern Italy popular as a tourist destination for the region and Italy as a whole, attracting thousands of tourists annually. In 1997, the Amalfi Coast was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a cultural landscape.

Like the rest of the region, the Amalfi Coast lies in a Mediterranean climate, featuring warm summers and mild winters. It is located on the relatively steep southern shore of the Sorrentine Peninsula, leaving little room for rural and agricultural pursuits. The only land route to the Amalfi Coast is the 25-mile-long road which runs along the coastline from Positano in the west to the town of Vietri sul Mare in the east. The road weaves past viewpoint after viewpoint and skirts the villages of Minori (ruins of a first-century A.D. Roman villa) and Maiori (sandy beach).

The Costiera Amalfitana, or Amalfi Coast, is widely considered Italy's most scenic stretch of coastline, a landscape of towering bluffs, pastel-hued villages terraced into hillsides, precipitous corniche roads, luxuriant gardens, and expansive vistas over turquoise waters and green-swathed mountains.

The Amalfi Coast is known for its production of Limoncello liqueur as the area is a known cultivator of lemons which are grown in terraced gardens along the entire coast between February and October. Amalfi is also a known maker of a high quality, hand-made thick paper which is called ‘bambagina’ which is exported to many European countries and to America and has been used throughout Italy for wedding invitations, visiting cards and elegant writing paper. Other renowned local products are a particular kind of anchovies from Cetara, and the colorful handmade ceramics from Vietri.

The Amalfi Coast and its most famous towns—Amalfi, Positano, Minori, and Ravello—have captivated and inspired artists for centuries, from 14th-century writers to 19th-century composer Richard Wagner and 20th-century playwright Tennessee Williams.

The roads along the Amalfi Coast are famously winding, narrow, and challenging to drive. Add in drop-dead views and daring Italian drivers, known for their behind-the-wheel bravado, this road trip offers one of the more exciting driving experiences in Europe ! ! !


AMALFI

Amalfi was in its day one of Italy's four powerful maritime republics (with Venice, Pisa, and Genoa). All sea trade in the Mediterranean was once governed by the 12th-century Tavole Amalfitane, one of the world's oldest maritime codes. Today, the town's scenic seafront setting, many cafes and shops, and mild climate make it a hugely popular resort.

First mentioned in the 6th century, Amalfi soon afterwards acquired importance as a maritime power, trading grain from its neighbors, salt from Sardinia, and slaves from the Italian interior, and even timber, in exchange for the gold dinars minted in Egypt and Syria, in order to buy the Byzantine silks that it resold in the West. Grain-bearing Amalfi traders enjoyed privileged positions in the Islamic ports.

The Amalfi Tables (Tavole amalfitane) provided a maritime code that was widely used by the Christian port cities. Merchants of Amalfi were using gold coins to purchase land in the 9th century, while most of Italy worked in a barter economy. In 848 its fleet went to the assistance of Pope Leo IV against the Saracens.

An independent republic from the 7th century until 1075, Amalfi extracted itself from Byzantine vassalage rivaling Pisa and Genoa in its domestic prosperity and maritime importance before the rise of Venice. In spite of some devastating setbacks it had a population of some 70,000 to 80,000.

In 1135 and 1137, Amalfi was taken by the Duchy of Pisa and rapidly declined in importance. A tsunami in 1343 destroyed the port and lower town, and Amalfi never recovered to anything more than local importance.

In medieval culture Amalfi was famous for its flourishing schools of law and mathematics. Flavio Gioia, traditionally considered the first to introduce the mariner's compass to Europe, is said to have been a native of Amalfi.

When I knew that we would be going to Amalfi, I pictured myself sipping Limoncello with George Clooney. He never showed up, so instead, I had gelato with Tom.



OUR LAST NIGHT IN MINORI

It turned out to be a beautiful day, so when it was time to head back to Minori we decided to take the water taxi back instead of the bus. It was such an enjoyable 15 minute ride . . . no honking horns, no hairpin turns, no traffic . . . and a different view of the towns from the water level.

Tom and I hadn't really taken the opportunity to walk along our beach, and when we did, I spotted sea glass among the smooth pebbles. I soon realized that along with the glass, there were many pieces of marble, and of broken pottery that had been worn smooth. I could have filled a coffee can in no time, but Tom reminded me that we only have limited room in our suitcases.

There is a lovely restaurant two doors away, and after having delicious wood-fired pizza there last night, we wanted to try their pasta tonight, made by the owner's "Mamma". "La Locanda del Pescatore" is a small, family owned restaurant, and we quickly made friends with Gerardo, the owner. He was born and raised in nearby town of Amalfi, and one of his brothers is the artist who made the pottery and tiles that decorate the restaurant.

After dinner we took one last stroll along the beach to enjoy one last sunset along the Amalfi Coast.