Amalfi Things to Do

Known as the City of Music, Ravello is a thirty-minute bus ride from Amalfi. Perched high upon a cliff, the town offers excellent views of the sea and countryside, as well as concerts and musical events year-round. High-flying travelers may wish to stay in one of Ravello's many five-star hotels, avoiding the touristic hustle and bustle of Amalfi.

Dating from the XIX century but several times reconstructed and adapted, the cathedral of St. Andre shows an oriental look, with evidence to the Paradise Cloister built in the XIII century.

The kids followed me in, but, to be honest, Fernanda preferred to walk along the streets Genova and Capuano, because they… you know.

A curious question: People visiting Amalfi do really care about churches?

When I decided to travel along the Amalfitan coast, I was expecting to see some of the most beautiful beaches of Italy. Well, beaches is not the exact word to describe what I saw. there are a few small banks of sand stretched in the hills, but calling them beaches is... a favour.

It's possible to swim, the water seems very calm (I don't imagine the temperature) and the sights are... awesome. If you take your yacht, that's a fabulous destination. I "forgot" mine, and by the road, I only caught a good collection of good views.

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The Piazza Duomo is the center of Amalfi village. The Cathedral of Saint Andrew dominates the piazza. On the piazza are numerous cafes, restaurants, shops and hotels. What a better way to spend a lazy afternoon than sitting down in a cafe over a cup of cappucino and watching the world go by.

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Dominating the Piazza Duomo is Saint Andrew's Cathedral. The cathedral dates back to the 11th century and its interior is adorned in the late Baroque style with a nave and two aisles divided by 20 columns. Within the cathedral is a bronze statue of Saint Andrew.

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Overlooking the Piazza Duomo at the top of a magnificent flight of stairs is the Duomo of Saint Andrew. The cathedral dates back to 1000 AD

The gold caisson ceiling has four large fresco's by Andrea d'Aste depicting the flagellation of Saint Andrew, the miracle of Manna, The crucifixion of Saint Andrew and the Saint on the cross. The interior is adorned in the late baroque style with three naves divided by 20 columns.
From the left hand nave a flight of stairs leads to the crypt. These stairs were built in 1203 for Cardinal Pietro Capuano, who on the 18th May 1208 brought Saint Andrew's remains to the cathedral from Constantinople following the Sack of of the city by the Crusaders.
The Cathedral crypt contains a tomb that is said still holds a portion of the relics of the apostle. A golden reliquary which originally housed his skull and another one used for processions through Amalfi on holy days can also be seen.
During Mass on these holy days, St Andrew's relics are said to exude a liquid called "St. Andrew's Manna". The faithful are anointed with the liquid, and many believe it to be miraculous.

Hi y'all!!
Have just got around to start posting about my Italy trip in October 2008 and already planning on returning this September since my husband and I had such a beautiful time in the Amalfi Coast. The highlight was a full-day tour we did with Charter LaDolceVita where we took a private boat to Capri and saw the Blue Grotto, went swimming in Marina Piccola, our captains actually guided the boat through the hole in the Capri rocks (Faraglini?) and after circling the island we then cruised over and had a seafood lunch in a tiny town called Nerrano. Our captain Rocco and Sebastano were a dream and their English was easy to follow as they showed us the points around the coast. After such a hectic time trekking through Rome, Venice and Florence it was just a lovely time to chill out on the boat and take lots of pictures - the boat's name was actually 'Hot' which we found amusing!

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See my hotel tip for more on this gorgeous spot. There was a movie made (one of those chick flicks) where the man chases the woman to Italy and catches up to her in this posh hotel on the Amalfi coast. Great shots of the area..."feel good" movie...of course they wind up together in the end. What was the name of that movie? Come on all you movie buffs...surely someone remembers!?
Whatever....I know I'd like to stay for a few days and take a cruise in this wonderful boat (in fact several boats) which are at your disposal as a guest of the hotel. MMMMMmmmmm
UPDATE FROM MY READERS The movie was "Only You" with Marissa Tomei and Robert Downey, jr. It was made in Positano...a tiny village along the way on the coast.