Amalfi, Italy

Amalfi, Italy

Fan-shaped Amalfi is a living museum, a journey where sea intertwines with tales of brave sailors and clever merchants.
Over the centuries, the people of Amalfi established trade routes throughout the Mediterranean, competing with the Arabs for control of the trade in this area. Their ships bore the seal of the free Maritime Republic of Amalfi, which gained fame and notoriety throughout Europe and all the way to Constantinople.
According to historians, the compass, the most precious navigation instrument, was invented in Amalfi and later distributed throughout the Mediterranean.
This city's golden era is commemorated by the annual Regatta of the Ancient Maritime Republics, a 2,000-meter race between galleons crewed by eight oarsmen in which Amalfi competes with historical opponents Venice, Pisa and Genoa.
The ancient shipyards of the Maritime Republic and the "Amalfi Tables" - the maritime code that remained in force throughout the Middle Ages - recount Amalfi's glorious past.
Amalfi's past was also characterized by important exchanges with the Arab world, during which the city acquired the technological processes for paper production. In the 13th century, Amalfi's paper mills located in the Valle dei Mulini began manufacturing its precious, sought-after handmade paper. The paper museum revisits the history of the so-called Bambagina Paper, made with linen, cotton and white canvas.