Amalfi Town, Italy: Relics of Saint Andrew
About Amalfi Town:
One of Italy’s most beautiful areas is the famous Amalfi Coast with its stunning views of towns perched looking over the Mediterranean Sea below.
The town of Amalfi itself has another attraction and that is the Duomo (Cathedral)..The Cathedral of Saint Andrew, that houses the relics of Saint Andrew the Apostle, the brother of Saint Peter, as related in both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark: “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen”.
We celebrate the Feast of Saint Andrew on November 30. It is a national holiday in Scotland and, more recently, Romania.
The relics were brought here from Constantinople after the Fourth Crusade and for a while kept in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. In 1964 the skull of St Andrew was returned from St Peter’s to this church .
About the Cathedral of Saint Andrew in Amalfi Town:
The exterior is a blend of both Moorish and European styling, giving it a rather unique look. Inside the Basilica you will notice a large bronze statue of the Apostle made in 1604 by Michelangelo Naccherino, patterned after Michelangelo’s “David”.
Then below in the crypt area is the tomb containing the relics of the Apostle Andrew. In the 14th Century it was discovered that the Saint’s bones excreted a substance called Manna. And ever since then the Manna is collected four times each year: January 28, June 26, November 29 (his Feast Day is November 30 ) and December 7. The Church does not recognize this as a miracle, yet the event is still observed and many people asked to be blessed by the anointing of this Manna.
Saint Andrew’s relics are said to exude a liquid called ‘St. Andrew’s Manna’ and people are anointed with the liquid, and many believe it to have miraculous qualities.
You can find a great assortment of Saint Andrew prayer cards, medals and more here.
Traveling to Amalfi Town:
Amalfi Town is about 40 miles south of Naples. There is bus service along the picturesque (but also very winding) road. If you have a problem with motion sickness this may not be for you.
You can travel by train as far as Salerno (15 miles from Amalfi) or Sorento (20 miles from Amalfi) and then either go by bus or taxi from there.
Get train & bus schedules, find the best fares, buy tickets here.
GPS coordinates: 40° 38′ 3.3756” N, 14° 36′ 12.4128” E
Tel: +39 089 871324
email: none available
There is no website for the Cathedral, but click here for the Town of Amalfi website.
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I feel so blessed to have seen this during our visit in Italy. I had to pinch myself to ensure that I was not dreaming.