The production of hand-made paper, in the Valle dei Mulini is one of most ancient and florid activities of the Amalfi people.

Ancient tradition gives the invention of paper at around the first century B.C. along the banks of the large river Azure in China.
Brought back from the land of Mandarins thanks to adventurous merchants, paper began to arrive in the bazaars of Persia, and the Syrian-Palestine border, and then onto the Moslems possessions in Sicily, Spain and North Africa.

Fabbricazione della carta

The Amalfi people, who had profitable commercial and diplomatic relations in these places soon came into contact with the new product and seeing the great practical and commercial value began first to import paper and then to learn the technique of making paper which Amalfi then produced in large quantities.

The need for written documents increased and added to the fact that “charta bambagina” as it was called cost less than the traditional parchment, there was a rapid diffusion in legal and commercial circles.
A diffusion that was so great that in 1230 Federico II, King of Sicily, prohibited solicitors the use of paper for official documents and insisted that they continued to use parchment as it was better fitted for long-term conservation.

This edict was the most ancient documental proof of the existence and use of Amalfi paper, other subsequent documents testify that paper was being produced;