"Atrani" Top 5 Page for this destination Positano Off The Beaten Path Tip by TRimer

Atrani is a beautiful, peaceful fishing village named because of the narrow form of Atrani, from the Latin antrum, narrow or dark. Atrani is so close to Amalfi that people park there and walk. The corniche arches over the main square of his pretty fishing village and wraps itself around the church of Santa Maria Maddalena.

This was the upmarket, residential part of Amalfi in the 10th century; today it still has some of the best examples of the vernacular architecture of the Costiera.

In the heart of the Amalfitan Alliance since the 800's, the small hamlet achieved a notable power: it became the " twin of Amalfi", where -in the historic church of San Salvatore di Bireto- the Amalfi's Doges received their investiture. Atrani also became a preferred residence by Amalfitan Nobles. Atrani's downward winds of fortune changed around 1734 when the Bourbons came to the throne of Naples. The new rulers brought culture and development, to Atrani, along the valley of Dragone, paper factories, textile factories (providing wool cloth and sagette) , and above all pasta-making , that maintained a certain level of commerce in the town. The pasta of the Coast was famous and the enterprising people of Atrani sold to all the outlying towns. Since the 1960's Atrani has gotten its share of the spotlight with actors, producers, artists of all types and adventurers. Jackie Kennedy who danced barefoot on the tables of Chez Checco, Rossellini turned the town into an exclusive cinema set. In the footsteps of the VIPS, tourism has brought some of its old fame to Atrani.

It also has a very good trattoria: 'A Paranza, where they certainly know one end of an octopus from the other. The seafood antipasti alone would justify the visit.