Amalfi Cathedral (Relics of St. Andrew)

The Story

Amalfi Cathedral (the Duomo di Sant'Andrea) rises above the Piazza del Duomo in Amalfi, on Italy's Amalfi Coast, at the top of a famous flight of sixty-two steps. Begun in the ninth and tenth centuries and enriched over time with Arab-Norman, Gothic, and Baroque elements, the cathedral is dedicated to the Apostle St. Andrew, the brother of St. Peter and one of the first disciples called by Christ. According to the historical record, the relics of St. Andrew were brought to Amalfi from Constantinople in 1206, during the Fourth Crusade, by Cardinal Peter of Capua. In 1208 the crypt beneath the cathedral was completed and the relics were solemnly enshrined there, where they remain today beneath the central altar of the richly decorated Crypt of St. Andrew. Tradition holds that a clear substance known as the "manna of St. Andrew" has at times gathered near the Apostle's tomb. The faithful have long regarded this reported phenomenon as a sign of the saint's closeness, and it is collected with prayer on certain feast days. The Church has not defined the phenomenon; it belongs to the centuries-old devotional life of Amalfi. For pilgrims, the cathedral offers a rare grace in Western Europe: the tomb of one of the Twelve Apostles. Visiting it recalls the apostolic foundations of the Church and the unity of East and West, since Andrew is also deeply venerated in the Christian East as the "first-called." Today the Duomo remains the heart of Amalfi's religious life, with the feast of St. Andrew celebrated with particular solemnity each November 30.

Church Recognition

The cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Amalfi-Cava de' Tirreni, and the relics of St. Andrew have been venerated there with the Church's blessing since their enshrinement in 1208; devotion to the Apostle is fully part of the Church's approved veneration of saints and relics.

Catholic Teaching

The veneration of the relics of the Apostles expresses the Catholic teaching on the communion of saints (CCC 946–962) and the honor given to the bodies of the saints as temples of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1674); Andrew's tomb also recalls that the Church is built on the foundation of the Apostles.

Plan Your Visit

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Practical

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Pilgrims visit the cathedral, the Crypt of St. Andrew, the adjoining Cloister of Paradise, and the Diocesan Museum. The feast of St. Andrew on November 30 is the high point of the year in Amalfi, marked by processions through the town, and the church welcomes visitors year-round.

Go Deeper

The Diocese of Amalfi-Cava de' Tirreni and the Diocesan Museum of Amalfi publish visitor information for the cathedral complex. For background, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the communion of saints (CCC 946–962) and popular piety (CCC 1674), and the entry for St. Andrew in Butler's Lives of the Saints.