Technically speaking, the Amalfi Coast is a stretch of coastline along southern Italy overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Gulf of Salerno. But to many, the area is one of the most beautiful in Italy, and its landscape is the true embodiment of la dolce vita. Known for its small villages nestled into imposing mountains, winding streets, pebbled beaches, turquoise waters, and pastel-colored houses that seem to have been carved out of the craggy hillsides, the Amalfi Coast is a marvel to behold. It’s no wonder it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The stunning coastline is peppered with 13 towns, and every week America Domani will release a brief list highlighting their history and unique characteristics. This week’s list features what are arguably the three most popular towns on the coast: Amalfi, Positano, and Ravello.
Amalfi
The town of Amalfi rose to prominence during the mid-6th century under Byzantine rule. It was one of the first Italian maritime republics between the 9th and 11th centuries, rivaling Pisa, Venice, and Genoa as a naval trading power in the East.
Today the popular resort town is known for its central Cathedral of Sant’Andrea, constructed in the 9th century and often restored throughout its history, that features bronze doors created in Constantinople sometime around the year 1065.
Ravello
The clifftop town of Ravello was most likely founded in the 6th century AD by a colony of Romans seeking refuge from the Vandal invasions. However, the first documented evidence dates to the 9th century, when the various villages freckling the craggy hillsides were incorporated into the Amalfi city state.
Ravello is renowned for its dreamy Villa Cimbrone, an 11-century villa that is now also a luxury boutique hotel. The villa’s gardens, containing a variety of flowers, were mainly redesigned at the start of the 20th century, and are open to the public everyday from 9 a.m. to sunset. The Terrace of Infinity, a terrace lined with marble busts, is the principal attraction – it offers a sweeping vista of the coastline, at more than 1,200 feet above sea level. Entrance into the gardens costs €10.
Positano
Positano can arguably be considered the most popular town on the Amalfi Coast, and it’s hard not to see why. Pastel-colored houses seem to defy gravity by clinging to the mountain side like ivy. Steep, narrow streets are lined with restaurants, boutiques and bars, which often have sweeping vistas of the town’s pebbled beach and the expanse of the Tyrrenhian sea. The town’s Church of Santa Maria Assunta is an iconic staple of Positnao’s panorama as its dome is completely covered in colorful majolica tiles.
Asia London Palomba
Asia London Palomba is a trilingual freelance journalist from Rome, Italy. In the past, her work on culture, travel, and history has been published in The Boston Globe, Atlas Obscura, The Christian Science Monitor, and Grub Street, New York Magazine's food section. In her free time, Asia enjoys traveling home to Italy to spend time with family and friends, drinking Hugo Spritzes, and making her nonna's homemade cavatelli.