16 Amalfi Coast Facts – Pirates, Wonder Woman & Roman Emperors
What do pirates, Wonder Woman, Roman Emperors and Mark Zuckerberg have in common?
They all came to the Amalfi Coast.
I bet you didn’t know this one! Well to be honest, I didn’t know it either before starting to learn more about this coast in the south of Italy.
Ready for some more interesting facts? Scroll down to read 16 Amalfi Coast facts that you probably didn’t know before!
The Main Facts About the Amalfi Coast
1. The town of Positano was created by Poseidon, the Greek God of the Sea
According to the Greek Mythology, Poseidon is the one who created the village of Positano. He did it to show his love to Pasithea, the goddess of rest and relaxation.
The city started to grow later with the Romans, who came to the Amalfi Coast and built a very luxurious villa on the beach.
2. The coast was constantly under the attack of pirates
From the IX century to around the mid 1600s, the coast was raided by pirates who came and killed everyone in the cities, stealing everything they could get their hands on.
If you pay attention to your surroundings when you visit the coast, you will see stone towers up on the cliffs.
There are actually 30 towers on the coast: they were used to signal every incoming ship and potential pirate attack, to allow the villagers to retreat and defend their city.
This created a common saying, still used to this day “behave or the Turks will take you away“, in reference to these pirate raids.
3. It took 150 years to build the road on the coast
There is one single road on the coast, that goes from Sorrento on the northern side all the way to Amalfi.
This road is called Amalfi Drive, and used to be the Strada Statale 163 (SS 163).
It was originally built by the Romans, and later restored in the 1830s.
This beautiful road has been used as a scene for many movies, and if you’ve played racing games you might have seen it in Gran Turismo 4 or Forza Motorsport.
4. The domes on top of the buildings are filled with sand in Positano
Many of the houses in Positano, and on the coast, have beautiful white domes. But did you know they were filled with sand?
But why?
Well, sand is a great insulator. It was used to keep the houses warm in winter, and cool in summer.
One of the Amalfi Coast fun facts: the dome are filled with sand
5. Amalfi Town was once an independent Republic
Amalfi, the city on the Amalfi Coast, was an independent republic from the VII century to around 1075.
It claimed its independence from the Byzantine Empire, and was an important maritime town, just like Pisa and Genoa, way before Venice became the maritime superpower it’s known for.
The city was taken by the Normans in 1073, and was later hit by a tsunami which destroyed Amalfi’s maritime power.
6. The town of Amalfi dates back from the 6th century BC
The history of the town dates way back, even before its independence in the 7th century.
In the 6th century BC, the area was known as Magna Graecia, or Great Greece.
While this might not be the initial reason to visit Amalfi, you’ll find great historical spots on the coast, such as the 1000 years old bronze door on the Amalfi Cathedral.
7. Roman Emperors used to go to Capri for vacation
Yes, Roman Emperors went to Capri before it was cool.
Capri is an island right next to the Amalfi Coast, and it boasts incredible landscapes. It was the ideal spot for the emperors, who loved the Blue Grotto, or Grotta Azzurra. I mean, who wouldn’t?!
8. Wonder Woman was filmed on the Amalfi Coast
Did you see the recent Wonder Woman movie released in 2017?
Do you remember the beautiful wild Amazon island of Themyscira?
Well, I bet you didn’t know this was in fact the Amalfi Coast!
Some scenes in the movie were filmed at the Villa Cimbrione, in Ravello. And yes, you can sleep there!
9. The coast is a very popular honeymoon destination for celebrities
Roman Emperors were not the only one to love the Amalfi Coast.
It’s actually a hotspot for Hollywood couples, who love to spend their honeymoon on the coast.
Among many stars, it was picked by Kim Kardashian, Jamie Olivier, or even Mark Zuckerberg.
10. Local families built their own private churches
Ok this one is actually among the Amalfi Coast fun facts: locals wanted to have their own private church, so they just built their own.
Yeah, no big deal.
While most have disappeared today, it’s funny to think that many of the buildings on the coast (hotels, shops, …) used to be churches.
11. You can sleep in an old Capuchin Convent
Yes for real!
The Cappuccini monastery was built in 1214, and was originally owned by Cistercian monks.
It was later given to the Capuchin monks in 1583, who stayed in the monastery for more than 200 years, and restored the old building.
Ever since 1885, you can sleep in the monastery, as it was converted into an hotel.
12. Tuna from the Amalfi Coast is exported to Japan to make sushis
Damn, how did we get so far on this list of facts of an Italian place without even mentioning food?
Well, here’s the first food fact about Amalfi Coast.
While you would think that Japan uses exclusively their own fishes to make sushis, they don’t. As a matter of fact, the Amalfi Coast is a big exporter of tuna, which is used to make sushis in Japan.
And anchovies are even more popular, a local specialty of the town of Cetara.
13. Lemons are the unofficial symbol of the Amalfi Coast
Our second food fact is about lemons. You’ll see lemons everywhere on the coast, and they might as well be the unofficial symbol of the area.
The Amalfi lemons are known as Sfusato Amalfitano; this unique local variety is used for many dishes, and locals use it to the last drop. Juice, leaves, the peel and the flesh are all used in local gastronomy.
The most famous product made out of lemons is probably the Limoncello. It’s one of the most popular liquor in Italy, and you need to try it when you’re visiting the coast!
14. You can see sea turtles in Sorrento
When visiting the coast, most people have no idea of the rich marine life that’s right there in the sea.
If you go snorkel on your own, or join a boat tour with snorkeling equipment, you will be delighted to see plenty of fishes, octopus, sea urchins, and even turtles! The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is the kind of turtle that you can spot in the water near the cliffs of Sorrento, where they come to lay their eggs.
15. There are no trains on the coast
This might come off as a surprise, given how popular the coast is, but there are no trains on the Amalfi Coast.
The closest you can get by train is Naples, Salerno or Sorrento. If you want to reach any other town, such as Positano or Amalfi, you will need to take the bus.
The lack of public transportation on the coats is one of the few reasons as to why Cinque Terre is better than the Amalfi Coast.
16. It was one of the first producer of paper in Europe in the Middle Ages
And finally, the last of our 16 facts about Amalfi Coast.
In the Middle Ages, the most used material to write on was parchment. But it was expensive, and difficult to make.
The people of Amalfi were the first in Europe to use paper, brought from Ancient China. They produced a paper known as Charta Bambagina, a hand-made thick paper that cost way less than parchment.
For centuries, there were plenty of paper mills on the coast, producing paper that was used all across Italy.
When you go to Amalfi, you can visit the Museo della Carta, a museum about the ancient paper-making tradition of the coast.
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So there you have them, the 16 interesting facts about the Amalfi Coast!
If you want to learn more about the coast, keep reading for some general facts and info.
Where is the Amalfi Coast? Amalfi Coast on a Map
The Amalfi Coast is in Italy, but you already knew that. To help you visualize better where is the Amalfi Coast, I’ve put it on the map of Italy for you.
It’s located right next to Naples, south of Pompei.
General Amalfi Coast Facts
You’ll find below a few general facts about Amalfi coast, to learn more about this part of Italy:
- Name: Costiera Amalfitana / Amalfi Coast
- Province: Salerno
- Region: Campania
- Land area: 112.3 km² / 43.3 square miles
- Website: Amalfi Tourist Office
Towns of the Amalfi Coast
Here is a list of the Amalfi Coast towns, in alphabetical order:
- Amalfi
- Atrani
- Cetara
- Conca dei Marini
- Furore
- Maiori
- Minori
- Positano
- Praiano
- Ravello
- Scala
- Tramonti
- Vietri sul Mare
More Facts!
Do you want even more facts about Italy?
Check out the following posts:
Or click here to see ALL the facts up on the blog! Spoiler alert: there is A LOT of them.
The Full List of 16 Amalfi Coast Facts
- The town of Positano was created by Poseidon, the Greek God of the Sea
- The coast was constantly under the attack of pirates
- It took 150 years to build the road on the coast
- The domes on top of the buildings are filled with sand in Positano
- Amalfi Town was once an independent Republic
- The town of Amalfi dates back from the 6th century BC
- Roman Emperors used to go to Capri for vacation
- Wonder Woman was filmed on the Amalfi Coast
- The coast is a very popular honeymoon destination for celebrities
- Local families built their own private churches
- You can sleep in an old Capuchin Convent
- Tuna from the Amalfi Coast is exported to Japan to make sushis
- Lemons are the unofficial symbol of the Amalfi Coast
- You can see sea turtles in Sorrento
- There are no trains on the coast
- It was one of the first producer of paper in Europe in the Middle Ages
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