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Cappuccini / Chiostro di S. Pietro della Canonica »
Passeggiata Longfellow » Salita S. Caterina » Lungomare
dei Cavalieri
Leaving from the Tourist Office we take to the right
in the direction of Piazza Flavio Gioia and after a few paces we
find the
Church of St. Benedetto
In Baroque style, the side chapels contain many paintings
and statues of the Saints. We would like to point out: the
two seventeenth century paintings of the “Incoronation”
and the “Assumption with the SS. Andrea and Lorenzo”,
and also the magnificent Majolica pavement of the same century…
On arriving at piazza Flavio Gioia we enter the Piazza
Duomo, the heart of Amalfi dominated by the extraordinary steps
of the Cathedral that we are about to visit…
Instead of using the term Cathedral, it would be more
correct to speak of a monumental complex, as it is made up of several
autonomous parts that are colligated together. The
oldest structure is certainly the Basilica of SS .Crocifisso, built
in 833. Another church was built beside it in 987, to form one majestic
Cathedral with six naves, that in the Baroque era was divided into
two churches. The Bell-tower was started in 1180 and finished in
1276; in 1206 the Crypt was constructed to hold the Sacred Remains
of St. Andrew Apostle. The last building to be built was the Cloister
of Paradise between 1266 and 1268…
With calm and in the silence due to the sacred place,
we enter the
CLOISTER OF PARADISE
In perfect Romanesque- Amalfitan Style, it was built
between 1266 and 1268 by order of Archbishop Filippo Augustariccio
as a cemetery for the Nobles of Amalfi. Interesting the structure
of entwined arches resting on 120 marble columns and the play of
light created by sun-rays amongst the arabesque of arches….
On the left we find various tomb stones, sarcophagus
of different epochs and six chapels built by patrons between
the XII and XIV centuries…
At the back a small chapel with a fresco of “Christ
Pantacrator” and a magnificent “Crucifixion”
of the school of Giotto (Roberto D’Oderisio); an imposing
design of Christ with the suffering Virgin, John, Mary Magdalene,
soldiers in Angevin armour, and on high the angel who receives the
soul of the repentant thief…
The Chapel on the right of the entrance leads to the
Basilica of the Crucifix
The ancient Cathedral of Amalfi built in the IX century
on the site of an earlier Paleo-Christian temple. Later adapted
to the baroque style, it was returned to the original Romanesque
Style in the restoration of 1994….
Therefore we can now admire the splendid open-side
gallery decorated with twin and single arches, and the majestic
columns of the original structure. On the
left-hand side probably part of the primitive temple, two small
chapels frescoed with scenes of the miracles and the effigies of
Saints including Beato Fra Gerardo Sasso, of Amalfi and founder
of the order of Malta…
In the centre the glass-cases containing part of the
cathedral treasure. Enjoy the museum with calm: the delicate embroidery
on the Angevin Mitre (1297) made of
gold, gems and a “pave” of 19.000 pearls; the fine chiselling
on the Chalice in silver-gilt with
enamel, pearls and gems (XIV century); the Chinese Sedan of the
XVIII century from Macao; the splendid Collar
of the Order of the Tonson of Gold; the rare pieces of silver of
the Neapolitan School; and the magnificent Falca (wooden
part) of a Venetian Galley of the XV century, that was used by Saracen
pirates to attack the city, tradition tells us that the pirates
were ship-wrecked by a terrible storm invoked by St. Andrew, the
Patron Saint, to protect the people of Amalfi….
Towards the back, at the first column on the right
an enchanting Fresco of the “Madonna
with Child” of the XVI century, the nearby steps lead
to….
The Crypt of St. Andrew
We are now in the house of St. Andrew, the first Apostle,
who died at Patrasso in Greece embracing the cross, as his Master
before him…
Built in 1206, to hold the Sacred remains of St. Andrew
, that arrived two years later, brought from Constantinople by the
Cardinal Pietro Capuano, pontifical legate in the IV crusade. The
sacred relics are held in a silver urn under the central altar,
work of Domenico Fontana.
The people of Amalfi are devoted to St. Andrew for
whom they hold solemn celebrations twice a year, the “Miracle
of the Manna” occurs more frequently, and ampoule in the silver
urn produces “The Manna” a mysterious liquid with miraculous
properties, that appeared for the first time on the 29th of November
1304. The presence and the quantity of the liquid has a propitious
value for the people of Amalfi who after the ceremony receive pieces
of cotton wool dipped in the sacred Manna…
The majestic Statue of St.
Andrew is a work of Michelangelo Naccherino: the two side
statues represent the first deacons of the Eastern and Western Churches,
St. Stephen and St. Laurence, work
of Pietro Bernini, father and teacher of the more famous Lorenzo.
Before leaving the Crypt a last glance at the
fresco by Aniello Falcone (1610) on the wall in front of
the altar. A testimony of the miracle the Saint performed when His
sacred remains entered the Cathedral, and the only representation
of the Cathedral before the adaptation to the Baroque….
The other steps lead to
The Cathedral of St. Andrew
Position yourself at the back of the central nave
to have a vision of the whole….
The attention is soon caught by the wooden Crucifix
of the XIII century that dominates the liturgical area; above
the altar: the painting of “The Martyrdom
of St. Andrew” a work by Andrea Dell’Asta, disciple
of Solimena (1715); two majestic Egyptian granite columns
that sustain the triumphal arch; two twisted
columns and two pulpits that
were part of the ancient ambo of the Cathedral (XII century); and
above the artistic boxed ceiling (1702) with at the centre the “Flagellation”
and “Crucifixion of the Apostle”, and the “ Miracle
of the Manna” also by Dell’Asta (1710)….
A brief itinerary inside the Church.
Proceeding to the left we find : the delicate Mother
of Pearl Cross brought from the Holy Land by Mons. Marini,
the Baptistery in red Egyptian porphyry
and in the lateral chapels paintings by Silvestro
Mirra and his pupils. In one of the pillars we can find a
hidden column , an example left to show the ancient Romanesque structure
hidden under the marble and stucco Baroque…
Passing to the central nave, we admire the High
Altar made from the sarcophagus of the Archbishop Pietro
Capuano who died in 1359 A.D. and the eagle
on the lectern of the same provenance…
Passing to the right hand nave, almost at the end
the bust of St. Andrew of the XVI century.
Beside the door a large painting of St. Andrew
and St: Mathew who saved Amalfi menaced by the terrible pirate Kairen-Din
“Red- Beard”; every year on the 27th of June
the people of Amalfi remember the event with a grand festivity in
honour of their Patron Saint….
We are now leaving but before doing so stop to admire
the Bronze Doors, the first to appear
in Italy, a gift of a patrician of Amalfi, who had them made in
Constantinople by a certain Simone of Syria in about 1060…..
Going down the steep steps we turn to give a last
look at the magnificent façade, it was built in 1891 after
the ancient frontal collapsed; the spectacular mosaics on the tympanum
represent “The triumph of Christ”,
a work by Domenico Morelli, the original designs of which
are kept in the Town Hall….
At the bottom of the Cathedral steps we take a drink
of fresh water at the seventeenth century
“fountain of the population” or fountain of St. Andrew
as it also known, we leave the square through the “Porta della
Marina” on the extreme left of the square…
On the wall of the Porta della
Marina- the ancient gate “De Sandala” we see
a Ceramic Panel by Renato Rossi that
illustrates the maritime might of Amalfi and her extensive trades.
The panel shows the circle of commerce, from Amalfi loaded with
timber the ships of Amalfi reached the shore of North Africa where
they traded the wood for gold. They then followed the Syrian- Palestine
coast buying precious materials, jewellery and spices that they
sold in numerous Italian cities on their return….
On the left of the ceramic panel is the entrance
to the Ancient Arsenal of the Republic of
Amalfi.
The unique example of a naval arsenal in the South of Italy, the
actual eleven arches are those remaining of the original twenty
that opened directly to the sea. On the inside you can see some
medieval statues and architectural elements
and the large Amalfi Galleon that is used in the famous Regatta….
When we leave the Arsenal we cross Largo Cesareo
Console, that in the medieval era was seat of the Customs and Warehouses
, at the end of the pathway, we enter the narrow Vicolo Masaniello
that leads to Piazza dei Dogi.
A quick glance around this interesting square (Red
route) and then take to the left up the steep Salita
S.Nicola dei Greci that leads to the Ancient Rione Vagliendola.
On the first part of the climb, are the remains of
the Church of S.Bartolomeo of the
XIII century, and the “Lampione”
an ancient house of the XII century with a unusual entrance
with a columnate…
Reaching the top of the steps, the ancient Western
gate of the city, the “Vallenulla” that leads
to the via Annunziatella with its beautiful panorama. A few paces
ahead and we find the access to
The Church of S.Biagio
Documented since 1082 and for a long period in possession
of the Abbey of Monte Cassino, the church contains some paintings
of the fifteenth hundreds and a splendid
ceramic pavement of the late ‘700…
Once on the outside we take the via Annunziatella
with its lovely views that leads directly to the celebrated Hotel
Cappuccini.
The hotel is situated in the ancient convent of 1212,
founded by Pietro Capuano on the site where the Church of S. Pietro
“a Toczolo” of the 10th century, once stood. It was
in the care of the Cistercians of Fossanova who later abandoned
it; it was then given to the Capuchins in 1583 and it was closed
after the abolition laws in 1815. A part of the building was destroyed
in a land slide, but the beautiful Cloister
of the XIII century remains (the third cloister of Amalfi
) and a magnificent “loggia”, a terrace with flowering
plants.”Those who have not seen Amalfi have not seen the world,
but those who have not seen the terrace of the Cappuccini Convent
have not seen Amalfi…” (O. Sitwell)
we return to our walk….
Descending the last flight of steps we reach the SS163,
via S.Quasimodo and crossing it, we find the pleasant pathway, the
via Longfellow.
The walk begins beside the small Chapel
of S. Cristoforo, protector of wayfarers, we now take the
steep steps on the outside edge, via Santa Caterina that lead down
to the small square Protontini, the heart of the port of Amalfi…
On the seats situated on the pleasant walk on the
higher part of the port we conclude our stroll…
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