The Amalfi Duomo, located on the Amalfi Coast on the Gulf of Salerno, is recognized for its significant art and architecture and played an important role in the decision to designate the Amalfi Coast as an official UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The town and its cathedral rest approximately twenty miles south of Naples. The Duomo, also known as the Cathedral of Saint Andrew, was originally constructed in the twelfth century, dramatically situated at the top of a steep flight of stairs overlooking the sea.
The first structure initially built on this site in AD 596 was replaced by a new church in the ninth century which now serves as a museum. The present Duomo di Amalfi was built in the early thirteenth century directly next door to the previously existing building for the purpose of providing an appropriately grand final resting place for the relics of Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Amalfi, Russia, and Scotland.
Saint Andrew served as one of the first apostles, spreading the Christian gospel throughout Greece prior to his ultimate execution. His remains were transferred from Greece to Constantinople (present day Istanbul) in 357 during the Byzantine Empire. During the Fourth Crusade the relics were moved again to the Amalfi Cathedral where they can still be viewed in the Chapel of the Relics.
Although minor remodeling has occurred on the Duomo throughout the years, primarily during the Baroque period, the majority of the structure has been restored to its original form, revealing intricate medieval frescoes.
Photos courtesy of sacred-destinations.com
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