Being the most "Mediterranean" of medieval Italy's Maritime Republics, Amalfi conjures up the subtle aromas of citrus fruits and the splendor of precious, decorative architectural styles which have been made immortal in the poems and songs of the romantic poets and troubadours of the fascinating atmospheres of the southern Italian lands. As with much of Southern Italy, Amalfi must be seen - and experienced  before one can understand it. And it must be explored in every nook and cranny, down the back lanes, and up the stairways ... but above all one should seek out its essence, for it always has something new to reveal.