Amalfi has been one of the maritime republics, enjoying a prestige and wellness that has made it one of the most visited place in southern Italy. One of the main characteristics of this beautiful town is the hand made paper production. This is an ancient tradition brought by the Arabs in the Mediterranean after having learnt it in China, where paper was invented in 105 A. C. In Amalfi the production of paper has raised to the maximum during the XVIII century and declined definitively during the XIX century, being displaced by the mechanization of the production.

The “Valle delle Ferriere” is crossed by a stream called Canneto that supplied power to the paper mills. Once the Arabs brought the technique to the Mediterranean, the Amalfitans improved it and started making very high quality paper that soon was used only by noblemen. The Valley had 14 paper mills and nowadays only ruins remain. The canalization system is still visible and it dates back to the original made by the Arabs.

This valley is a microcosm where during the XVIII century the Woodwardia radicans, a giant fern dating back to the tertiary age, has been discovered. This plant can reach 180 cm.

Very interesting is the excursion on foot from Amalfi to the small villages of Scala and Ravello through the “Valle delle Ferriere”. The excursion can be finished descending to Amalfi on foot passing by the enchanting fishermen village called Atrani .

For any information about our trekking program “Vesuvius and Amalfi Coast”, do not hesitate to contact us by mail to the following address This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it