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St Andrew's Cathedral in Amalfi is the brightest treasure in this little town on the Amalfi coast, and its imposing structure dominates the main square. The large monumental complex includes a crypt, two communicating basilicas, a staircase leading to the atrium, a bell tower and the 'Cloister of Paradise'.
The oldest part of the building is the Basilica of the Crucifix, which dates back to the 9th century. The columns and capitals came from ancient Roman buildings and were brought here by sea. The Romanesque building dedicated to St Andrew the Apostle was later built on the site of the old church. The saint's relics are kept in the crypt. 27 June and 30 November are the dates of the Corsa del Santo, when a silver bust of St Andrew is carried through the village on the shoulders of the devotees, who run up the Cathedral steps.
The current façade dates back to the late 19th century and evokes the medieval style, with Byzantine mosaics. Make sure to see the Cloister of Paradise, originally built as a burial ground for the local nobility. Here you will see five elegant sarcophagi, richly decorated with the Rape of Proserpina, the Wedding of Peleus and Thetis, Romulus and Remus with the she-wolf, and a series of family crests. In the centre of the cloister, you can rest in the shade of an Arab-style palm grove.
