Duomo di Amalfi (Cattedrale di Sant'Andrea)

A visit does not begin through the towering bronze cathedral doors at the top of the stairs. Instead, entrance is through the left portico into the Chiostro del Paradiso (Cloister of Paradise). Built between 1266 and 1268 by Archbishop Filippo Augustariccio as a burial ground for Amalfi's noble families, the cloister features slender twin marble columns supporting sharply pointed Moorish arches surrounding a lush palm garden.

From the cloister, you enter the 9th-century Basilica del Crocifisso, the oldest standing church in Amalfi, which now houses the Diocesan Museum. Displays include 13th-century silver reliquaries, painted wooden crucifixes, and precious vestments embroidered with gold thread. A stone flight of steps leads down into the subterranean Crypt of Saint Andrew (Cripta di Sant'Andrea), built in 1608 under Spanish patronage and lined with polished polychrome marble and frescoes celebrating the patron saint. The saint's head and relics, brought from Constantinople following the Fourth Crusade in 1208 by Cardinal Pietro Capuano, rest beneath the central altar.

Ascending from the crypt brings you into the main nave of the Cathedral, where high baroque gilded ceilings, marble columns pillaged from Roman Paestum, and large oil canvases depicting the miracles of St. Andrew crown the space.

The grand staircase consists of 62 wide, steep stone steps. There is no elevator to the main entrance portico; visitors with severe mobility constraints should note that wheelchair access is not available to the upper cathedral or crypt levels.

Because the Duomo is an active consecrated place of worship, dress regulations are actively monitored by door staff. Sleeveless tops, tank tops, short shorts, and bare midriffs will be turned away. If visiting during hot summer days, carry a light shawl or linen overshirt to wrap around your shoulders and legs. Flash photography and large tripods are prohibited inside the crypt and museum.