May

The Amalfi Coast, a place portrayed as a picture perfect serene ribbon of pastel town clinging to cliffs above flawless blue waters of the tyrrhenian sea. And yes, the scenery really is as dramatic as every postcard suggests. But the reality on the ground was… a little different. 

As we wove through the constantly offloading traffic of tour boats and selfie sticks, shoulder-to-shoulder crowds of exhausted parents and screaming kids inching past repetitive souvenir stalls, I kept wondering: what exactly sparked this level of global fascination? Was it social media? Hollywood’s romanticizing? Or just the seductive idea of “la dolce vita” distilled into a coastline? Whatever the reason, the Amalfi Coast has become a pilgrimage site for foreign visitors and maybe that popularity is both its blessing and its burden.

Towering above the town of Amalfi, rises a majestic cathedral, its intricate mosaics shimmering in the sunlight. It houses the relics of the Apostle St. Andrew from who it derives its name: Cattedrale di Sant'Andrea. Decorated with intricate baroque frescoes and elaborate gilt stuccos, the crypt is an artistic masterpiece in itself.

The Cathedral’s unique and ornate bell tower is quite a stunning specimen of Roman and Byzantine influences. It overlooks a beautiful compact courtyard aptly named the “Cloister of Paradise” - although it was intentioned to refer to something else. Surrounded by slender columns and moorish styled interlaced arches, the vivid meditarrenean garden feels like an oasis of its own in the otherwise hustle-bustle of the village it sits within. This particular duomo left me quite entranced.