In the coastal town of Amalfi, each year the devotion to Saint Andrew (Sant’Andrea) culminates in a unique ritual known as the Corsa di Sant’Andrea. The event begins when the silver bust of the patron saint is carried out of the crypt of the cathedral and processed through the streets, then brought down to the sea for a blessing of the waves, a nod to Amalfi’s maritime heritage and the long presence of fishermen in the community.
What follows is what everyone waits for: on the monumental staircase of the cathedral, porters swiftly carry the statue upward, urged on by the crowd, climbing roughly sixty-two steps to the threshold of the Duomo. The Duomo itself, dedicated to Sant’Andrea, sits above the town on the homonymous Piazza and serves as both spiritual center and civic landmark for Amalfi.
