Posa, Posa, Positano...

Legend has it, in the XII a.C, Pirates made frequent incursions on the Amalfi Coast, and during one of these they had a rare icon of a Byzantine Black Virgin Lady, coming all the way from Costantinopolis, on their vessel. As soon as they were ready to set sail, a sudden storm broke out and, during the frenzy, a sweet feminine voice was heard - Posa! Posa! -. The pirates, moved by the miracle they had just witnessed, decided to leave the icon on the beach, a church was founded there under the name of Chiesa di Santa Maria dell'Assunta and Positano was born around it.

Fill your eyes with the vibrant colors that cover Positano: the flowers, the Sun, the Sea, the houses, the majolica of the dome of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, the ceramics, the corals, the golds... We could go on and on, but it would take forever, so why not enjoy it strolling through the arcades and ancient alleys.

Positano strikes deeply. It is a dreamlike place that does not seem real to you until you are there but of which you feel with nostalgia all the profound reality when you left it.  -  John Steinbeck

Amalfi, witness of many eras.

Hercules laid down the body of his beloved nymph Amalphes on this land and he planted on of the Divine fruits to honor her: the Lemon.

During it's years as Maritime Republic (IX - XI a.C.) Amalfi saw it's most thriving period. Center of trade in the Mare Nostrum, was able to mint it's own coin, the Tarì, produced it's own Paper thanks to the teachings of Arabs and Chinese and built their very own vessels. The invention of the Compass is attributed to an Amalfitan man, Flavio Gioia. 

The Republic followed the Tabula Amalphitana, a unique collection of Articles of Maritime Law.

The conquest by the Normans, gifted Amalfi the breathtaking Cathedral of Amalfi, home of the relics of Saint Andrew. Disclaimer: Make sure not to walk the stairs to the top hand in hand with your partner, legend says couples doing so are destined to break up!

Symbol of Amalfi, the precious Donkey. This animal was essential to carry goods from the mountains to the inhabitants ashore.

Culture, food, history, legends are the soul of this wonderful city. 

You can walk on the beach, having a Cuoppo of seafood, among ancient medieval walls and monuments and finish your visit with a refreshing Lemon Sorbet or Sweet Limoncello 

You can make more trips wandering through the alleys of Amalfi, than visiting entire countries - Fabrizio Caramagna

The City of Music and Coral

On the way from Positano to Amalfi, a common presence is the watchtowers along the coast, from the bottom to the top. Round or square, Saracen or Angevin, they suggest once this Coast was subject to frequent incursions of Pirates. This is why Ravello was born ( V a.C. ), located on a buttress between the Valley of the Dragone (Dragon) and the Valley of the Regina (Queen). It sits infact on one of the highest point of the Amalfitan Coast.

The name has two possible origins Rivellus, Little River, or Rebellum, because of it's rebellion to Amalfi, after this one rose up to the Norman domination in XI a.C..

What makes this city iconic, though, is it's linkage to many famous painters, actors, composers, photografers, artists in general. Richard Wagner took inspiration, in fact, from the enchanting terrace of Villa Rufolo to compose it's Parsifal and this is how Ravello became the City of Music. The most talented artists from all over the world have performed at the Ravello Music Festival, entitled to Wagner, and many others through out the year or have came to take inspiration: Andrè Gide ( L' Immoraliste ), Edward M. Foster ( The story of a Panic ), Humphrey Bogart, Robert Capa, Ray Charles, David Herbert Lawrence ( Lady Chatterley ), Paul Newman and many more.

Even being a little City, Ravello hides so many treasures: Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone with their verdant and shining colors, the Coral Museum that still follows the ancient crafting, the Princess Gardens with the stunning Panorama, Villa Eva, Annuziata Historic Building, Oscar Niemeyer Auditorium, some of them.

 Here is the enchanted garden of Klingsor!  - Richard Wagner, visiting Villa Rufolo

Ravello is closer to the sky than it is to the seashore  -  Andrè Gide