Amalfi Cathedral
Encyclopedia
Amalfi Cathedral is a 9th century Christian structure in the Piazza del Duomo, Amalfi
, Italy
. It is dedicated to the Apostle
Saint Andrew
. Predominantly of Arab
-Norman Romanesque
architectural style, it has been remodeled several times, adding Romanesque
, Byzantine
, Gothic
, and Baroque elements. The cathedral includes the adjoining 9th century Basilica of the Crucifix.
Leading from the basilica are steps into the Crypt of St. Andrew.
by Cardinal Peter of Capua
. In 1208, the crypt was completed and the relics were turned over to the church. It said that later on Manna issued from the saint's bones.
hangs in the liturgical area. Another crucifix, made of mother-of-pearl
, was brought from the Holy Land
and is located to the right of the back door.
The High Altar
in the central nave is formed from the sarcophagus
of the Archbishop Pietro Capuano (died 1359). Above the altar is a painting by Andrea dell'Asta
of The Martyrdom of St. Andrew. The boxed ceiling dates to 1702 and its artwork includes the Flagellation, the Crucifixion of the Apostle, and the Dell'Asta's 1710 Miracle of the Manna. The triumphal arch
is held up by two Egyptian granite
columns. There are two additional twisted columns and two pulpits that were part of the 12th century ambo
. One of the pillars boasts a hidden column as an example of the ancient Romanesque structure.
's mosaics portray “The triumph of Christ” in a work created by Domenico Morelli and whose original designs are retained in the Town Hall.
Sixty-two steps, wide and steep, lead up to the doors. Cast in Constantinople
before 1066, and signed by Simeon of Syria, the cathedral's bronze doors are the earliest in Italy of post-Roman
manufacture. Begun in 1180, and completed over 100 years later, the Romanesque style bell tower
is off-center. The structure includes four small towers of Arab architectural type that are adorned with arches and are covered with majolica
tiles. During times of war, the bell tower was purposed for defense.
The garden contains colonnade
s, arches and sculptures.
Amalfi
Amalfi is a town and comune in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno, c. 35 km southeast of Naples. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto , surrounded by dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is dedicated to the Apostle
Apostle (Christian)
The term apostle is derived from Classical Greek ἀπόστολος , meaning one who is sent away, from στέλλω + από . The literal meaning in English is therefore an "emissary", from the Latin mitto + ex...
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
. Predominantly of Arab
Islamic architecture
Islamic architecture encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the foundation of Islam to the present day, influencing the design and construction of buildings and structures in Islamic culture....
-Norman Romanesque
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
architectural style, it has been remodeled several times, adding Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
, Byzantine
Byzantine architecture
Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire. The empire gradually emerged as a distinct artistic and cultural entity from what is today referred to as the Roman Empire after AD 330, when the Roman Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire east from Rome to...
, Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
, and Baroque elements. The cathedral includes the adjoining 9th century Basilica of the Crucifix.
Leading from the basilica are steps into the Crypt of St. Andrew.
History
The newer cathedral was built next to the older basilica that was built on the ruins of a previous temple. The remains of St. Andrew were reportedly brought to Amalfi from Constantinople in 1206 during the Fourth CrusadeFourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...
by Cardinal Peter of Capua
Peter of Capua
Peter of Capua was an Italian theologian and scholastic philosopher, and a Cardinal and papal legate.Peter was a member of an Amalfitan family. After a being a teacher at the University of Paris, he was employed by Pope Innocent III as legate. He made trips to Poland and Bohemia in 1197,...
. In 1208, the crypt was completed and the relics were turned over to the church. It said that later on Manna issued from the saint's bones.
Interior
A wooden 13th century CrucifixCrucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
hangs in the liturgical area. Another crucifix, made of mother-of-pearl
Nacre
Nacre , also known as mother of pearl, is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some mollusks as an inner shell layer; it is also what makes up pearls. It is very strong, resilient, and iridescent....
, was brought from the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
and is located to the right of the back door.
The High Altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
in the central nave is formed from the sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
of the Archbishop Pietro Capuano (died 1359). Above the altar is a painting by Andrea dell'Asta
Andrea dell'Asta
Andrea dell'Asta was an Italian painter of the late-baroque period. Born in Bagnoli , he died in Naples. He trained with Francesco Solimena, and worked for a time in Rome. His name has myriad spellings, the painter himself used Aste but other have used d'Asti, D'Asti, Dell'Asti, etc. Much of his...
of The Martyrdom of St. Andrew. The boxed ceiling dates to 1702 and its artwork includes the Flagellation, the Crucifixion of the Apostle, and the Dell'Asta's 1710 Miracle of the Manna. The triumphal arch
Triumphal arch
A triumphal arch is a monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crowned with a flat entablature or attic on which a statue might be...
is held up by two Egyptian granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
columns. There are two additional twisted columns and two pulpits that were part of the 12th century ambo
Ambon (liturgy)
The Ambon or Ambo is a projection coming out from the soleas in an Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic church. The ambon stands directly in front of the Holy Doors...
. One of the pillars boasts a hidden column as an example of the ancient Romanesque structure.
Exterior
The front facade was rebuilt in 1891 after the original one collapsed. It is of striped marble and stone with open arches that have lace detailing not commonly found in Italian sacred architecture while the tiled cupola is quite common amongst churches of the area. The tympanumTympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
's mosaics portray “The triumph of Christ” in a work created by Domenico Morelli and whose original designs are retained in the Town Hall.
Sixty-two steps, wide and steep, lead up to the doors. Cast in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
before 1066, and signed by Simeon of Syria, the cathedral's bronze doors are the earliest in Italy of post-Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
manufacture. Begun in 1180, and completed over 100 years later, the Romanesque style bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
is off-center. The structure includes four small towers of Arab architectural type that are adorned with arches and are covered with majolica
Maiolica
Maiolica is Italian tin-glazed pottery dating from the Renaissance. It is decorated in bright colours on a white background, frequently depicting historical and legendary scenes.-Name:...
tiles. During times of war, the bell tower was purposed for defense.
The garden contains colonnade
Colonnade
In classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building....
s, arches and sculptures.