the Amalfi coast

Scala is the oldest town on the Amalfi Coast. Some Roman families stopped here around the 4th century AD due to a storm that prompted them to choose a sheltered place full of water. The town has a typically medieval aspect and the 6 Borgli of which it is composed are proof of this. It is possible to visit them all through a pedestrian circuit about 8000 steps long. A beautiful walk that starts from the BB Casa Falcone leads to the discovery of many cultural heritage and panoramic points. Numerous naturalistic or panoramic walks start from Scala. The best known is the pedestrian path that leads from the Borgo di Minuta (below our B&B) towards the village of Pontone where the access to the wonderful Riserva delle Ferriere is located. Afterwards, continuing towards the sea, it is possible to reach Amalfi through an unusual path that leads from the mountains to the square.

In Amalfi a Roman villa for "holidays" already existed in the 1st century but the town was founded in the 5th century. Only later did it become a castrum for the defense of the Byzantine Duchy of Naples. The small state was ruled first by a count elected annually by the representatives of the noble Amalfi families, and later by a duke. The Middle Ages was the time when it established itself as a commercial power, with warehouses along the entire Mediterranean. But it enters the world collective imagination thanks to travel notes, drawings and prints dedicated to it by travelers on the Grand Tour (1660 - 1840). This town is described as having an Arabian appearance and arouses the curiosity and attention of ancient tourists, artists, painters. Today we have some vestiges of this fabulous city: the ancient naval arsenals, the basilica of the Crucifix (next to the imposing polychrome cathedral that towers over the main square) but also in the structure of the city. Going up from the square towards the Valley of the mills, it is possible to walk along the Rue, ancient alleys adjacent to the Canneto river (now covered by the main street) that let you imagine a fairytale Arab city. A curiosity ... if you visit the city in a working day you can access the Civic Museum, inside the Town Hall. Here it is possible to see up close and in life size, the preparatory cartoons by Domunico Morelli, later brought back by the Salviati school of Venice as a mosaic on the polychrome facade of the Duomo. Another curiosity ... one of the most panoramic places in Amalfi is the Cemetery, which can be reached via steps or with a rock lift. It is a former convent ... to the tourists who looking from the sea at the elegant sequence of arches in the center of the hill wondering if it is a hotel, the Amalfi people usually reply with a rhyme "yes, it is the hotel of the Good Jesus, who goes never comes back ... "

The name of Atrani, Atranum, (= obscure) derives from its location in a ravine at the end of the Valle del Dragone. The charm of the village is the succession of narrow passages, impossible alleys and very narrow streets illuminated by the whiteness of the walls: imagine crossing Tunis or Algiers in miniature. Here, at the Church of San Salvatore de 'Bireto (typical headdress of the Doges), the Dux of Amalfi were crowned. Among the curiosities ... if you look up towards the ridge of Mount Aureo, you will notice the whiteness of the Church of Santa Maria del Bando which, due to the opportunity offered by the natural echo, was the ideal place to spread the edicts to the people through the declamation by the auctioneers.

Minori, with its Roman villa in the center of the city, proves that the Amalfi Coast has been a vacation spot since ancient times. The structure dates back to the 1st century. A.D. and it certainly belonged to a wealthy character, as evidenced by the breadth of the spaces and the richness of the decorations.

Not far from the Villa is the Basilica of Santa Trofimena, an example of Sacred architecture of the 18th century. Here are kept the relics of the Saint who, in the wake of southern tradition, are said to have come from the sea. Among the places of worship "to visit" we include, without any doubt, the Pastry shop of Sal De Riso, one of the best known and most qualified Italian pastry chefs. Its bistro is a greedy place where you can taste the most traditional sweets of the Campania and Italian culture but also some original creations. All the raw materials are of high quality and many belong to our regional territory in particular the lemons of Amalfi, hazelnuts and ricotta.

A curiosity ... among the first forms of Italian pasta probably appears an ancestor of the "ndundero", a typical Minorese dumpling that originates from the "caseata" spelled polenta, a mixture of flour and rennet much loved by the ancient Romans.

Maiori has the largest strip of beach on the Amalfi Coast nestled between the "formicole" (phomic in dialect) that is the Norman Tower and the Mezzacapo Castle. The long course is dominated by the Reginna river, named after the Etruscan lucumone (the highest political charge of the pre-Roman civilizations) who founded it. The city during the Duchy of Amalfi was the seat of the Arsenals and the Admiralty. The Maiori arsenals continued their activity even after the fall of the Amalfi Republic and also built ships for the kingdom of Naples. Two curiosities… The city is protected by Santa Maria a Mare whose statue, it is said, was found by fishermen after a storm, wrapped in a bale of cotton that miraculously saved it from the fury of the waves. Furthermore, after the Second World War, in the period of neo-realism, Maiori was chosen by Roberto Rossellini as the set for some of his films: Paisà, Viaggio in Italia, Miracolo, The bad-killing machine. The most famous dish of the city is eggplant with chocolate, this unusual combination between a fried vegetable and a confectionery product makes its taste really interesting, which was originally given by the Concierto d'erbe, an infusion of herbs produced by the ancient settlements monastic.

Positano is the most cult city of the coast although it was born as a humble fishing village which, at the beginning of the 20th century, became a good refuge for German artists and important Russian exiles. Many well-known personalities have chosen this curious vertical and colorful nativity scene as the location for their villas. The town is a shopper's paradise. Everything starts from the intuition of Maria "Lampo" a seamstress who transforms a local production into a real style, the "Positano fashion". The town is home to a Roman residential villa, discovered under the oratory of the Church of SS. Maria Assunta (in the main square). A curiosity ... many believe that Vesuvius has damaged only the areas around Naples, but Positano is 20 km from the mouth of the volcano. The ash has thus preserved intact paintings dating back to the IV Pompeian style. The visit of the villa is made interesting by aerial routes (walkways and staircases in glass and corten steel), in order to make the hypogeum environment under which there is the most beautiful and ancient "corner of the house" in Positano. .

In medieval times Capri belonged to the territory of the Duchy of Amalfi. Today it is the most famous Campania island in the world. It is possible to enjoy its beauty from the top of the 589 meters of Monte Solaro or the 334 of Monte Tiberio, where the villa of the Roman emperor of the same name was located. While Anacapri is the plateau located between these peaks. The piazzetta of Capri is synonymous with luxury and dolce vita. The island is easily accessible by sea from Amalfi or Sorrento.