Tramonti: between Amalfi's coast and sea sunsets

One Italian word can mean so much. Take Tramonti, one of the fascinating towns along the Amalfi coast. It was named by Flavio Gioia, inventor of the sailor's compass, after the tramontana which is the brisk northerly wind. It was wind rich, so to speak, an important point for what was once the Maritime Republic of Amalfi.

But in Italian "tra monti" also means between the mountains, in this case the peaks of the Lattari range, and that's not all. With just one letter change, the i to an o, and tramonto becomes sunset, resplendent over the calming, expansive Mediterranean blue.

But Tramonti is more than a word and its residents take pride for having popularised pizza throughout Italy by dent of their home oven style of cooking. Serving up pizzas more quickly and thus in greater quantity, they had the inklings of today's fast food style.

Slightly inland, Tramonti was nonetheless once one of the richest sea ports of Italy and is just one example of the multifaceted allure of the towns, history and environment of the Amalfi area, which may well be visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists each year but is not for nothing inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list for its exceptional cultural and natural scenic values.

The Amalfi Coast, stretching from the village of Positano to the Vietri sul Mare along the Mediterranean coast of Campania, has many gems embedded in its crown. The effort behind creating its terraced hills and incredible cliff side architecture can be understood when one sees the view. Cultural events like the Ravello festival take on a greater significance when held amidst the gardens of the Villa Rufolo or the archways of this rebellious noble town.

As Tramonti is more than a word, the Amalfi Coast is more than what can be read, studied or photographed. Especially in the side seasons of Spring and Autumn, dodging the peak tour hordes, a journey to the Amalfi touches the spirit, re-awakening the awe inspired by humans' versatility and creativity adapting to the spectacular natural environment.