Archaeology and nature: hyblean cultural landscape and territorial ...

Fig. 10: Positano.
4. The mountain towns
The inland villages are covered by other types, being composed of scattered groups of very large territories,
for different altitudes.
From the northern area of Amalfi a winding ascent to the top of the ridge overlooking the valley of the
Dragon, on which stood Scale, consisting of an aggregate principal and several villages, which are arranged
longitudinally from north to south, on roads which follow as much as possible the level curves, with buildings
upstream and downstream. The first group has met Pontone, whose soil, markedly steeper, a plant uses to
wrap around the ridge, on whose southern limit emerge from the impressive and spectacular ruins of St.
Eustace to 275 m s.l.m. The laborious steps continues northward, passing the 100 meters that accompany
the tiny village of Minuta, gathered around the Church of the Annunciation.
From here continue up to the largest center (m 400 approx.), aligned along the fairly flat - now made
passable to cars - that leads to the Cathedral of St. Lorenzo, one of the major emergencies of the Amalfi
coast. The trail continues up to hamlets S. Peter and S. Catherine, gaining about 450 meters, after which,
back toward the south, with trends roughly parallel to the center, reaching Campidoglio to over 500 meters,
and meet at the junction of Minuta.
The environment is highly suggestive of the presence of churches and medieval buildings, some still
adorned with traces of inlaid stone decoration and Arab baths. Among them stand the palaces Mansid'Amelio,
Verone, Romano, D’Afflitto, the Bishop's House and other anonymous remarkable episodes of
Pontone [8].
Ravello, overlooking the other side of the valley, reflecting a different condition, with nuclei aligned along the
direct routes from north to south and east to the sea and to Minori. The largest town is situated on a plateau
about 350 meters tapering on top of a massive rocky outcrop rising from the valleys of the Sambuco and the
Dragone, in which almost vertical walls there are interesting phenomena that give rise to numerous karst
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