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Amalfi Cathedral

Amalfi-Cathedral550

With its façade in Arab-Sicilian riot of stripes, arches and mosaics,  looms impressively over the small Piazza Duomo from atop 62 broad stairs.

The walkways, composed by double columns and Moorish-style arcades made of pure white marble, surround a beautiful and peaceful  Mediterranean garden.

The cathedral dates in part from the early 10th century and its stripy facade has been rebuilt twice, most recently at the end of the 19th century.

The huge bronze doors also merit a look – the first of their type in Italy, they were commissioned by a local noble and made in Syria before being shipped to Amalfi.

Less impressive is the baroque interior, although the altar features some fine statues and there are some interesting 12th- and 13th-century mosaics.

  •  Location

    Amalfi

  •  Opening Hours

    from 7:30 am – 7:45pm

  •  More information

    Free entrance

Guided tour to Emerald Grotto

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Located not far from Amalfi, in the charming bay of Conca dei Marini, the Emerald Grotto ( Grotta dello Smeraldo) is one of the gems of the Amalfi Coast.

Well-known in the 19th century, the grotto was somehow forgotten and only re-discovered in 1932 by a local sailor, Luigi Buonocore.

The grotto was named “Emerald” for the incredible colors that filter from an underground opening and fill the cave with intense nuances of green.

The inside of the cavern is filled with stalagmites, stalactites and strange “work of arts” created by time and nature.

The Emerald Grotto combines the characteristic of an inland grotto with those of a marine grotto. Until 6000 years ago (yesterday, in the geological timeline) the grotto was not submerged, and the slow incessant dripping of drops of water created the stalactites and the stalagmites.

Then the level of the sea raised, and the grotto filled with water.

The grotto is home to an underwater nativity scene, made ceramics artisan from nearby Vietri in 1956. Since that time, divers from all over Italy come to pay a visit to the Holy Family at Christmas, a very special procession to behold.

The Emerald Grotto can only be visited on a boat. You will be taken in a rowboat that hosts more or less then 20 passengers and given a tour with a guide. You can reach the grotto either by sea in a ferry, by renting a boat at any of the ports along the coast, or by car/bus.

You stop at the facilities on the main coastal road and reach the departure point by way of an elevator or along a panoramic stairway.

We recommend visiting in the early afternoon, between noon and 3 o’clock, to enjoy the best possible light.

  •  Location

    Amalfi

  •  Opening Hours

    The facilities are open daily from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm

  •  More information

    Entrance ticket € 5

Visit to the Museum of Paper

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Amalfi’s paper museum preserves the original paper presses, which are still in full working order. The audio guide explains the original cotton-based paper production and the later wood-pulp manufacturing. Afterwards you may well be inspired to pick up some of the stationery sold in the gift shop, alongside calligraphy sets and paper pressed with flowers.

  •  Location

    Amalfi

  •  Opening Hours

    March – October

    Daily from 9.00 am to 6.30 pm

  •  More information

    Entrance ticket  € 4