The Furore Fjord
A few kilometers from our boutique hotel there is a small paradise surrounded by nature. We are talking about the Furore Fjord, an enchanting inlet nestled between two sides of the mountain, which seems to have come straight out of a postcard. It is one of the most fascinating and photographed places on the entire Amalfi Coast. It has been called “a corner of Norway cut into the rock of the Mediterranean“. But despite the name it is not a real fjord because fjords are formed by glaciers while that of Furore is a body of water located at the mouth of a valley.
At the marine limit there is a wonderful little beach of white pebbles, just 25 meters long, framed by the steep walls of the valley and dominated by the state road bridge that cuts through the narrow gorge. The beach is surrounded by a series of colorful houses and some buildings that tell of old traditions, linked not only to fishing but also to paper production. Given its beauty, it attracts a large number of visitors from all over the world. The beach can be reached by sea or via a staircase carved into the rock.
According to an ancient legend, it was the devil himself who created it in a moment of anger. One day he arrived in Furore but was chased away by the inhabitants of the town who did not like his presence. So, to spite the local population, he decided to leave his excrement at the entrance to the town. But by mistake he cleaned himself with the leaves of a nettle plant and, due to the itching, he ran away cursing and stamping his feet on the ground. From that angry gesture the fjord would have originated.
In reality, however, the deep fissure in the rock was dug over the millennia by the Schiato stream, which descends steeply from the edge of the Agerola plateau. Some historians believe that the fjord is the reason why the town was called Furore. In fact, they claim that the original name Terra Furoris (i.e. land of Fury) derives from the fury of the sea, which on stormy days furiously crashes on the rocks of the small fjord, creating frightening and deafening noises.
Over the years, this magical place has fascinated writers, poets and artists. The great Italian director Roberto Rossellini was literally bewitched by it, and here in 1948 he shot several scenes of “The Miracle”, one of his most famous films. The fjord was the set but also witness to the end of the tormented love story between the director and the splendid Anna Magnani. The two even bought two small houses on the beach, still called by the locals the Villa del Doctor and the Villa della Storta. It is said that in one of the restaurants in the area the actress, at the height of an argument, threw a plate of spaghetti at the director.
For trekking enthusiasts, there are several paths that start from the base of the fjord and climb towards the mountain heights, revealing environments of rare beauty.
