Best Spots for Instagram on the Amalfi Coast

The staircase of the Duomo of Sant’Andrea (St. Andrew)

On the second day of our self-guided walking holiday on the Amalfi Coast, you descend on foot from the heights of Ravello into the town of Amalfi and soon find yourself in the central piazza, dominated by the world-renowned Cathedral of Saint Andrea, otherwise known as the Duomo of Amalfi.

Standing at the base of the broad, tall staircase, you’re likely to notice a number of odd features. First is the staircase itself. Very few churches in Italy boast such a monumental means of access. Typically, a temple or cathedral might have a few steps up to the central portal, the Duomo of Florence being a good example. Not even the Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome has such a tall and steep stairway as does Amalfi’s Duomo. The reason is that the church was constructed on a relatively high hill overlooking the rest of the town. This was in order to offer shelter to the citizens of Amalfi during an era characterized by frequent pirate raids and attacks by rival city states. During that period, the staircase did not exist in its present form, and was added later once the threats had diminished.

Another notable feature is the intricately arched portico topped by a gable with a polychrome mosaic that looks distinctly Byzantine. Influences from the east don’t stop there. Topping the bell-tower on the left is a construction which, if you squint right, could easily stand in as a medieval church from the Levant. Inside, Moorish influences abound, especially in the exquisitely carved columns and interwoven arches of the Cloister of Paradise, which was originally established as a cemetery for the more illustrious citizens of the city.

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