Situation
The seaside resort of Amalfi lies on the south coast of the Sorrento peninsula at the northern edge of the Gulf of Salerno - at the mouth of a deep gorge. Amalfi is one of the most popular holiday resorts in Italy, particularly favored by the people
of Naples.
History
According to legend Amalfi was founded by Constantine the Great. During the Middle Ages it was an independent state with a population of some 50,000, ruled by self-appointed dukes who later became hereditary. In 1077 the town was incorporated by Robert Guiscard in the Norman kingdom; through its active trade with the Orient it rose to influence and wealth. As a sea power Amalfi came into conflict with Pisa and Genoa. Amalfi's code of maritime law (Tabulae Amalfitanae) prevailed throughout the whole of the Italian Mediterranean from the 13th to the 16th centuries.
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