Minori, Atrani, Pontone, Minuto, Scala
( Originally Published 1909 )
WITHOUT entering into the history of the neighbourhood, where each town had its own in-dependent life, a brief reference to some of the places closely connected with Ravello may be of interest. With the exception of a few rough footpaths, the only roads from the coast to Ravello must have been by either Atrani or Minori, and unhindered access through one at least of these towns was a necessity for people whose welfare depended upon their commerce and shipping.
Tradition tells us that the earliest inhabitants ascended the hill from the Minori side, and settled at Torella, subsequently fortifying themselves on the summit of the hill afterwards called the Toro.
Both the neighbouring towns of Maiori and Minori of old bore the name of Rheginna.
They were distinguished as the greater and the lesser major and minor; but their common appellation has ceased to appear except in public notices, and they are universally known by the distinctive qualification only. With Minori, the lesser of the two, we alone have to do. Situated at the mouth of a well-watered valley, possessing great natural fertility, it shared the maritime importance of the Republic of Amalfi, of which it was an integral part. It had an arsenal and dockyard, and the Marina was sufficiently large to furnish important revenues to the bishop, who alone possessed the right (confirmed by two Doges of Amalfi) of allowing buildings of whatever kind to be erected near the sea. The bishopric was created in 987 by Pope John XV., and until its fall in 1818 the occupant of the see ranked second among the bishops subject to the Metropolitan of Amalfi.
The church was dedicated to Santa Trofimena, whose remains were supposed to possess healing virtues ; and the possession of this relic gave rise to much conflict in the ninth century. Santa Trofimena was born in Sicily of noble family, and to avoid an alliance planned by her father, she left the parental roof and lived in seclusion, devoting herself to a religious life. She suffered martyrdom in the year 314, during the persecution under Diocletian. Tradition says that an angel brought the saint to Minori, where her tomb on the seashore became forgotten until miraculously disclosed, when with the body of the saint were found some Latin verses beginning:
Qui tumuli causas ingressus discere quaeris, Martyris hic Trophimus intactaque virginis artus.
With great pomp the relic was deposited in the church ; many miracles followed, and large donations were given to the place, where by visions and other indications the saint expressed her determination to remain.But her repose was short, for in the year 838 Sicard, Prince of Benevento, having erected a church in his capital, went in search of relics for it, and engaged some Amalfitan sailors to procure for him the body of St. Bartholomew, preserved in the Lipari Isles. The Amalfitans, fearing that he, might seize Santa Trofimena from Minori, a town not capable of repelling his attack, carried the saint's remains by boat to Amalfi, and deposited them in the Cathedral. Sicard, returning from a successful expedition against the Saracens, directed his fleet towards Amalfi, invaded the city, and carried away the bones of Santa Trofimena 1 to Salerno, and thence to Benevento. But the following year, 839, Sicard was assassinated, and two Minoresi priests immediately begged for' the surrender of the saint, threatening the successor to the Duchy with the hostility of the Amalfitans in case of refusal ; so the relics were transported to Minori, with much rejoicing, and have remained there ever since.
Previous to the fatal storm of 1343 the beach of Minori is said to have been continuous with those of Maiori and Atrani, and even with Amalfi itself, but at the present day the port is small, sheer cliffs hemming it in on either side. The road to Ravello consists almost entirely of a staircase, and enters the commune by Torella, where the picturesque entrance of the church is mainly composed of materials brought from the dismantled c