We
arrived in the medieval town of Amalfi and parked beside the Mediterranean Sea
which was looking fairly rough due the windy conditions on shore. The temperature
was still about 30C and there were crowds of tourists in all the narrow lanes
and roadways around the town. This is a very popular sea-side tourist spot
because of Amalfi’s beaches, shops and its famous historical and monumental 9th
century cathedral complex. This is the known as Duomo di Amalfi and when we saw
the grand 120 step-stairway up to the Cathedral so almost balked at climbing
them because the elevated building didn’t seem as elegant as other churches
we’d seen. Its many portico arches and unusual decorative pattern design, and
the crowds at the top beckoned us to check it out. Ken said he would climb to
the top and signal whether it was worth the climb and to ‘save my left ankle’
any extra climbing as we were both weary. I notice one of our Bible Study
members (she is 76) walking down the steps and seeing her challenged me to make
the climb up. Just as i reached the top step Ken appeared and excitedly
beckoned me to follow him. 
This was
no ordinary building! It was a complex of buildings, some built beneath and
behind the giant stairway, others as joined sections within the building. It is
made up of: A beautiful open Cloister, a Basilicia which now houses a fantastic
Diocesan Museum, the Crypt built centuries ago and way down deep under the
buildings and a baroque style cathedral
At the
central entrance to the Cathedral, is the Cloister which has an atrium which is
open to the sky. The atrium is such a refreshing sight with its oriental-Arabic
design intertwined arches surrounding a perfectly pruned hedge-garden, palm trees,
flowers and patterned borders of colourful flowerbeds. Looking north from
within the cloister atrium the tall orient-inspired tower bell can be seen. This
part of the building was built between 1266 and 1268. Along the left hand side
of the gallery of the Cloister are many sarcophagi which are the burial places
for past members of the nobility in Amalfi. Amalfi was one of four Maritime
Republics of Italy in the Middle Ages and it had prolific trade with other
countries, in particular with the Orient – hence the influence on the design of
this part of the cathedral complex.
We
continued through this complex and were amazed at the antiquity of some of the
frescoes which depict scenes of the crucifixion, dating back to the second half
of the 13th century. They are in remarkable condition.
Next we
entered the Basilica which adjoins the atrium and its’ chambers. The Basilica
consists of a single nave with domed windows which have recently been restored
and retains the original structure. The oldest part dates back to the 6th
Century AD whilst the church was extended in the 10th century, when
two more naves with apses were added. Other changes that have occurred over the
centuries include the building of a long colonnade to connect the Basilica with
the new Cathedral when it was built. We spent ages in the Museum which is
housed in the Basilica part of this complex. The Museum was set up in 1996 and
displays the most precious sacred objects of the treasure of the cathedral of
Amalfi. Some examples of these include: an elegant fourteenth century French
chalice, vestments from various styles from different periods, numerous
sculptures, marble-based reliefs, one of which was created by an artist living
and working in Naples at the beginning of the 15th century. A silver
head sculpture took my eye. The hair design an d facial features that the
silversmith had sculptured was amazing. I also liked the two-panel screen which
was painted in Byzantine style.
The
Crypt is found under the new Cathedral. It has been remodelled over the years
and it houses many relics of the church. The paintings on the ceiling of the
crypt are in the Late-Mannerist style from the 17th century and
commissioned by Phillip III, king of Spain. These paintings depict the life of
Christ. There is an abundance of gold and other geometric decorations all over
the Crypt but it seems to work because the light and life in the area is
amazing. The ornate ceiling has been designed with painted scenes from the life
of Christ. I have included a picture of just one of these: The Last Supper.
The
current Cathedral built in the 18th century, in the baroque style is
an elegant and beautiful building. Its’ high, richly panelled gold-foil ceiling,
large canvas paintings, extensive use of marble and decorative arched columns gives
this Cathedral an ethereal appearance. We spent so much time in the church
complex that we were almost late in meeting back up with the rest of the group
so we rushed down the massive front staircase steps and headed for tour meeting
spot.
Our final destination was Sorrento which was even more crowded than Amalfi but we explored some of the area which we visited 11 years ago. We passed some of the steep steps that have been built for residents to reach their homes and we reminded ourselves that we had seen the same kind of entrance/exit means in all of the villages we’d seen today.
We then had a relaxed and enjoyable lunch an open air restaurant, under a large umbrella to ward of the scorching sunlight. Sorreno is famous for its many orange groves so it was not surprising to see an freshly squeezes orange vending machine at one of our photo-spots on the scenic drive back up the Amalfi Coast. On the final leg back our driver drove us via the expressway and the views were still stunning.
