Amalfi, the town that gives its name to the coast, is situated at the mouth of Valle dei Mulini; It was the first of the four Maritime Republics, and for a long time held the monopoly of trade with the East. It looks like a cluster of white houses clinging to the rock and connected by covered alleys and stairways. At the center of the main square overlooking the Cathedral of St. Andrew with the impressive staircase, the bell tower in Arab-Norman style and the charming Cloister of Paradise. Interesting is the Paper Museum of Amalfi and the ancient and evocative Arsenals of the Republic.
