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Amalfi is the "queen" of the Amalfi Coast, that extraordinarily beautiful peninsula between the Bay of Naples and the Salerno Gulf on the Tyrrenhian Sea. The Coast includes the towns of Amalfi, Sorrento, Positano, Praiano, Cetera, and many others perched on high cliffs just at the sea's edge. The only significant road skirting the edge of the peninsula is a passenger's dream-and a driver's nightmare!

The town of Amalfi lies on the south coast of the peninsula, at the mouth of a deep gorge. It is one of the most popular seaside resorts in Italy. Houses are built one above the other (literally) in small groups on narrow twisting streets along the cliffs. The land is cultivated (mostly lemons) on laboriously constructed terraces.

According to legend, Amalfi was founded by Constantine the Great. In the Middle Ages it was an independent state with a population of up to 50,000. It was incorporated during the Norman rule, and through commerce rose to great importance. Amalfi is credited with two major seafaring contributions: (1) the code of maritime Law-the Tabulae Amalfitanae-which prevailed throughout the Italian Mediterranean from 13C to 16C, and (2) the maritime compass, invented by native son Flavio Gioia.

The Cathedral of Sant'Andrea, was built in 9C and remodeled in 1203; the portico was rebuilt in 1865 and restored in 1890. The bronze doors were cast in Constantinople in 1066. The altar columns are from Paestum. The crypt contains the remains of the Apostle St. Andrew, there since 13C.

Today, the city is a beautiful resort town, with just the kind of atmosphere that invites one to stroll, relax on the beach, or take a bay cruise to the nearby grotto or the ferry to Sorrento, Naples, Salerno, or the islands of Capri, Ischia, or Sorrento.