The Amalfi Coast ( it, Costiera amalfitana) is a stretch of coastline in southern Italy overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and the

Gulf of Salerno The Gulf of Salerno (Italian: ''Golfo di Salerno'') is a gulf of the Tyrrhenian Sea in the coast of the province of Salerno in south-western Italy. The northern part of this coast is the Costiera Amalfitana, which ends at Punta di Campanella and ...

. It is located south of the

Sorrentine Peninsula The Sorrento Peninsula or Sorrentine Peninsula is a peninsula located in southern Italy which separates the Gulf of Naples to the north from the Gulf of Salerno to the south. Geography Overview The peninsula is named after its main town, S ...

and north of the Cilentan Coast. Celebrated worldwide for its Mediterranean landscape and natural diversity, the Coast is named after the town of Amalfi, which makes up its main historical and political centre. It is a very popular jet set destination, and has been an attraction to upper-class Europeans since the 18th century, when it was a frequent stopover on their Grand Tours. Attracting international tourists of all classes annually, the Amalfi Coast was listed as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage Site in 1997.

History

During the 10th–11th centuries, the Duchy of Amalfi existed on the territory of the Amalfi Coast, centered in the town of Amalfi. The Amalfi coast was later controlled by the

Principality of Salerno The Principality of Salerno ( la, Principatus Salerni) was a medieval Southern Italian state, formed in 851 out of the Principality of Benevento after a decade-long civil war. It was centred on the port city of Salerno. Although it owed al ...

until Amalfi was sacked by the Republic of Pisa in 1137.

Geography

Like the rest of the region, the Amalfi Coast has a Mediterranean climate, featuring warm summers and mild winters. It is located on the relatively steep southern shore of the

, leaving little room for rural and agricultural development. The only land route to the Amalfi Coast is the long

Amalfi Drive The strada statale 163 Amalfitana, also known as Amalfi Drive, is a road which runs along the stretch of the Amalfi Coast between the southern Italian towns of Sorrento and Amalfi. The road was originally built by the Romans. The drive between ...

(Strada Statale 163) which runs along the coastline from the town of

Vietri sul Mare Vietri sul Mare ("Vietri on the Sea"; Campanian: ) is a town and '' comune'' in the province of Salerno, in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is situated just west of Salerno, separated from the Port of Salerno by only a harbour wall. ...

in the east to

Positano Positano (Campanian: ) is a village and '' comune'' on the Amalfi Coast ( Province of Salerno), in Campania, Italy, mainly in an enclave in the hills leading down to the coast. Climate The climate of Positano is very mild, of the Mediterrane ...

in the west. Thirteen municipalities are located on the Amalfi Coast, many of them centered on tourism.

Municipalities

}) , - , Conca dei Marini , ''none'' , Main church of Saint John Baptist and the Emerald Grotto , - , Furore ,

Fiordo di Furore Furore is a town and '' comune'' in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy. Furore is located on the Amalfi Coast. Geography The municipality of Furore expands from sea level, where there is the hamlet of Fiordo d ...

, Marina di Praia , Fjord of Furore , - ,

Praiano Praiano () is a town and '' comune'' of the province of Salerno in the Campania region of southwest Italy. It is situated on the Amalfi Coast (''Costiera Amalfitana''), a prime tourist location for the region and Italy alike, between the towns o ...

, Vettica Maggiore , Churches of San Luca and San Gennaro and Saint John Baptist , - ,

, Montepertuso, Nocelle , Church of Santa Maria Assunta

Economy

The Amalfi Coast is known for its production of limoncello liqueur, made from lemon (known as ''sfusato amalfitano'' in Italian) grown in terraced gardens along the entire coastline between February and October. Amalfi is also a known maker of a hand-made thick paper called '' bambagina'', symbolic of Italy’s ancient traditional technique for

paper production The pulp and paper industry comprises companies that use wood as raw material and produce pulp, paper, paperboard and other cellulose-based products. Manufacturing process The pulp is fed to a paper machine where it is formed as a paper web an ...

and historically used for private writings, legal acts, and revenue stamps. Other renowned local products are a particular kind of anchovy (local Italian: alici) from Cetara, and the colorful handmade ceramics from Vietri.

Transport

Buses and ferries run along the Amalfi Coast, as well as boat excursions from Positano and Amalfi.

Airport

The

Salerno Costa d'Amalfi Airport The Salerno - Costa d'Amalfi Airport , located in the municipality of Pontecagnano Faiano and close to Bellizzi, is an airport in southern Italy, in Salerno city and the west coastal areas of Amalfi to the north and Cilento to the south. It i ...

is the nearest. However, the most used airport to reach the area from abroad is Naples International Airport (Napoli-Capodichino).

In popular culture

The natural beauty and picturesque landscapes of the Amalfi Coast have made it one of the most popular destinations of the world's jet set, earning it the nickname of "Divine Coast" (''Divina costiera''). The rulers of Amalfi are the central figures in John Webster's Jacobean tragedy '' The Duchess of Malfi''. The Dutch artist M.C. Escher produced a number of artworks of the Amalfi coast, and Spike Milligan describes his time in Amalfi during a period of leave in the fourth part of his war memoirs, '' Mussolini: His Part in My Downfall''. The Amalfi Coast was used for scenes of Federico Fellini's 1972 film ''

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council * Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...

'' and for the 2017 American superhero film '' Wonder Woman'', where it was depicted as the Amazon island of Themyscira. The Amalfi Coast serves as a setting for fictional racetracks in the ''

Forza Motorsport 3 ''Forza Motorsport 3'' is a 2009 racing video game developed for Xbox 360 by Turn 10 Studios. It is the sequel to ''Forza Motorsport 2'' and the third installment in the ''Forza'' series. The game includes more than 400 customizable cars (more t ...

'', ''

Forza Motorsport 4 ''Forza Motorsport 4'' is a 2011 racing video game developed by Turn 10 Studios and published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox 360. It is the fourth installment in the ''Forza'' series. It is the first title in the series to support the Kinect ...

'' and '' Gran Turismo 4''. It also plays host to the fictional town of Sapienza in Hitman. The city of Positano is featured in John Steinbeck's 1953 short story ''Positano''. The city is also featured in '' Under the Tuscan Sun'', Christopher Nolan's ''

Tenet A tenet is a synonym for axiom, one of the principles on which a belief or theory is based. Tenet may also refer to: Media * Tenet (band), a heavy metal band * TENET (ensemble), an American early music vocal and instrumental group * ''Tenet'' ( ...

'' and the Kath and Kim movie '' Kath & Kimderella''.

Notes

References

External links

*
Amalfi Coast
at ENIT – Italian National Tourist Board {{Authority control Coasts of Italy Landforms of Campania Landforms of the Tyrrhenian Sea Tourist attractions in Campania World Heritage Sites in Italy