Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing it, between Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time), by using the blue link-up button below.
Cathedral of Saint Andrew – Amalfi
From its imposing position at the top of a long set of steps, the Cathedral of Saint Andrew looks out over the village of Amalfi.
Construction of the first cathedral began in the 9th century AD. It was built on the ruins of a previous temple dating back to 560 AD.
Dedicated to the Apostle Saint Andrew it consists of several structures done over a number of centuries in various architectural styles including Arab-Norman, Romanesque, Byzantine, Gothic, and Baroque.
The main bronze doors of the original cathedral date back to 1061 and were a gift to the church from a wealthy Amalfi merchant.
The original structure now referred to as the Basilica of the Crucifix, is a museum containing an impressive collection of religious artifacts.
From murals and frescoes,
to mitres, chalices, and even an old sedan used by high ranking bishops to get around the town in style.
Leading from the basilica are steps that take the visitor down into the Crypt of St. Andrew.
Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Amalfi and his remains were brought here from Constantinople in 1206 during the fourth Crusade.
The crypt is opulently adorned with elaborate carvings, gold leaf everything, and stunning religious paintings and statues.
The Cloisters of Paradise sits between the old cathedral and the newer one.
The simple courtyard offers a quiet outdoor respite from the bustling touristy town just outside the walls of the cathedral.
The Cloisters connects to the ‘newer’ cathedral which was built in 1208, then renovated and redesigned a number of times over the years, including as recently as the early 1800’s.
If Amalfi is ever on your destination list, I’d strongly suggest that the Cathedral of Saint Andrew should be near the top of your must-see places to visit while you’re there.
As always, thanks so much for looking 🙂
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So much wow there!! I love the two colors of the stonework, it adds so much dimension. And those painting and gold leaf!! I love those Cloister shots. That area looks so peaceful.
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This is a calm and lovely place. Does it only seem so or there really weren’t as many people as one would expect? I love the view from the Cloister the most and all the grand green doors. So cool to see Italy through your eyes!
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Thanks Manja. Actually the place was crawling with people. I took my time and waited for the right moments to take my shots.
It was so cool for me to see Italy through my eyes too 😀
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Hhahhah, do tell. 😉
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Wow! We are thinking about a trip to Italy in 2020 so this is so inspiring for me!
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Thank you Sharon and welcome 🙂
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thank you for sharing series of beautiful photos.
have a great day
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Thank you and welcome 🙂
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Wow! Lovely doors. I especially loved the “oldest door you ever photographed.” What a beauty! As much as I appreciate the architecture, I’m with you and Joanne about the choices churches make about where to spend their money (although, I’m also happy they made such bad choices in the past since they are a wonder to see).
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I totally agree with you. The artwork is too beautiful and important to be denies simply because I don’t like how they got the money to pay for it 🙂
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Ooooooo! What a richness of doors! In contrast to them, naturally the little plain afterthought one stands out. ;D But, seriously, that “hodgepodge” is like a walk-through lesson in Architectural History.
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Thanks Marian. That’s what you get when a building has been around that long, I guess 🙂
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beautiful church with those steps. 😁
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Those steps gave me a bit of difficulty but it was worth the effort 😉
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Gorgeous photos, Norm. The painted ceilings are beautiful and I love that old sedan. 1061 and still standing – amazing doors.
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Oh Jean some of the artwork is this place was simply breathtaking.
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I’ll add Amalfi to my list! Your photos of the architecture and the artwork are incredible. I liked the pope-mobile 🙂 and the oldest door you’ve photographed. Thank you for sharing this amazing village and cathedral!
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Thanks for the kinds words. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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Happy 2019, Norm! Fabulous shots of Saint Andrew cathedral, the highlight of lovely Amalfi. We spent some time in Amalfi on our way to Positano in 2014, most of it at the Basilica and its vicinities. It is a gorgeous structure and you captured it beautifully!
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Thank you Angela 🙂
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A-mazing Norm!!!! Gorgeous, gorgeous photos. And what a gift to share with us on a cold January day. Like giving us a teeny, tiny holiday. Thanks!!
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Thanks Janet. Oh how I wish I was there again right now!
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Me too! Wishing I was too.
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So pretty. Doesn’t it just look all warm and sunny, too? A far cry from the weather here. I might could spend a day walking stone paths, so much gilded and everything bathed in golden light. Thank you for sharing this beauty with us 🙂
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Thanks Joey. It was killer hot that day and I remember having a tough time making it up all those stairs. But I’d take again in a heartbeat when compared to the below freezing temps we have now. Especially if I was back there again, sitting by the water, enjoying a refreshing lemon gelato…it’s such a pretty part of the world.
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Mmm, definitely the right setting for gelato!
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Another Amalfi post – yeah! Love the beautiful Church, handsome doors and hardware, and the Pope-Mobile. I think you hit another door home run, boss. 🙂
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Thanks Judy. This will be the last one from my Amalfi pics, unless I go back one day, I figured I’d let Amalfi go out with a bang 😉
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These photos and this location is beautiful. The doors, carraige and Catheral are a work of art.
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They are indeed. Thank you Alice 🙂
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Love the hockey refererence Norm, that photo of the bin! So many wonderful photos today and historical information, thank you for the tour.
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Glad you enjoyed it, and that you got the reference. Without fail that term comes to mind every time I see a confessional 😀
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You need to shoot from the inside out, we need to see that perspective. In your next penalty…
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Even before I started reading the text I was drawn to the greenish door with the crosses on it. A jewel! A treat for the eyes with all these rich details:) Thank you for sharing Norm!
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Thanks for the kind words 🙂
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The old carriage is fascinating. Harkens back to a time when people were evidently a lot smaller.
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Smaller yes, but I still wouldn’t want to be one of the poor buggers who had to carry him around in that thing all day 😉
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Absolutely beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing. I was rather intrigued with the door and knob that was almost located center of the door. Very interesting place.
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Yes that one got my attention too 🙂
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Don’t you just love how a cathedral built in 1208 is called “NEW”? LOL!
That sedan is probably really good on gas 🙂
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Really good on gas but rough on the knees and backs of the poor buggers who had to carry the well-fed fellow around 😉
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I never tire of visiting churches, although John gets a little jaded but humours me.
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I always thought I’d never tire of visiting old churches either, but then after spending 4 days walking around Rome I realized that I could tire of them 😀
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Congratulations on setting a record for the oidest door in your collection. A thousand years is nothing to sneeze at. The rest of the photos are icing on the cake.
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Thanks. I hadn’t really thought about it until I sat down and started going though some of my older posts. That’s when I realized this one has to be the record-holder 🙂
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As always, I find the bronze doors the most attractive. You are really milking this trip for TDs aren’t you, Norm?
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Thank you Ian. I am indeed milking this trip for lots of doors posts. I figure I’ve got at least 7 or 8 more that I can squeeze out of it 😀
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Those original bronze doors are one of my favorites and I was ready for the peace of the courtyard by the time I got there! I vacillate between enjoying the beauty and wondering why these churches are so opulent–to praise God or man? No matter which, they’re really something, something not seen these days.
janet
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Thanks Janet. Admiring the beauty and art despite the shameless boldfaced opulence exhibited by the Catholic church is something I struggle with at times. Especially since most of it was paid for by poor people who were coerced/guilt-tripped into handing over cash they probably couldn’t afford.
No question about the artistic beauty though, and it is very rare to see anything like this on new constructions these days 🙂
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If made for the glory of God, that’s one thing; if for that of man, something completely else.
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Norm it seems like I have been here lately and seen similar photos! Ha Ha! I think you have some mighty fine photos there!
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Yes indeed. I went back earlier this week to look at your post just to get me in the mood. You got some really great shots when you were there.
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Thank you!
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This was a beautiful stop, Norm. I don’t know where to start, it’s all so far into the amazing end of the dial, it’s hard to pick something that stands out. The early Pope Mobile is a favorite though. The woodwork on that is awe-inspiring. I can’t even imagine. I like the bronze doors, and I still get a chill every time I think about fitting metal doors into a stone entrance. “Plane a little off the top” isn’t going to be an option.
Thanks for sharing these!
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Thanks Dan. You remind me that I keep meaning to do some research on how they go about hanging and fitting massive doors like this. A nice online rabbit hole to get lost in on a cold blustery day.
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Wow! That is beautiful. Thanks for sharing
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Thank you 🙂
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A wonderful find, and so very very Italian. I like the door next to the fresco, that has been worked into the irregular shapes of the wall.
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Thanks Stephen. Yes I had to capture that one; it stood out for me too.
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I will say that when it comes to churches, the Italians aren’t exactly modest and unassuming. The ‘gold-leaf everything’ pretty well says it all. I don’t know what that type of architecture it is called, but I love the look of the light/dark layered stone seen in the 2nd and 3rd photo.
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Thanks Joanne. You already know how much I agree with you about Catholic Churches and their displays of opulence. ‘Nuff said, right?
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Right! We share these opinions 🙂
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