The medieval village of Pontone
Located about 15 kilometres from our boutique hotel, Pontone is one of the six contrade (districts) of Scala. Also known as the ancient Scalella, the contrada is almost completely surrounded by citrus groves. Here, time passes slowly and one breathes an atmosphere of times gone by.
Pontone was the first town on the Amalfi Coast in the Middle Ages. It was here, in fact, that Roman patricians who arrived on the coast in the 4th century from the Lattari Mountains found a naturally strategic location for a new town. In the first half of the 12th century it was an autonomous municipality and the favourite destination of the Amalfi nobles for its calm and relaxing atmosphere. Later, with the economic decay of the coast, the nobility gradually left the citadel. In the fascist period, when Scala was dismembered, Pontone went under the municipal administration of Amalfi, only to return to the municipality of Scala after the war.
Pontone looks like a separate village and develops in a circular fashion around Piazza San Giovanni Battista. This characteristic small square with a terrace overlooking the coast was built to be easily transformed into a swimming pool. Since the early Middle Ages, wool imported from Apulia was processed in Pontone and Piazza San Giovanni Battista was the heart of the activity. Thanks to an ingenious system of canals, water from the mountains was collected in the square, turning it into a sort of pool in which the raw wool was immersed.
On the square stands the Church of San Giovanni Battista, an important example of medieval religious architecture. Founded in the 12th century, it currently presents the layout it received after numerous restorations over time. On the façade, the bizarre presence of a half-column (dating back to the early Middle Ages) sticking out like a corbel stands out. Placing oneself under this column had a symbolic value, it meant asking for asylum: any man or woman who believed he or she had been abused received protection and submitted to the impartial judgement of the Corporazione dei Lanaioli di Scala. Inside the church, there is a 17th-century wooden statue of the patron saint of the hamlet, a 16th-century painting of the Circumcision by Aniello Iannicelli Napoletano and a tombstone of a member of the local Spina family dated 1346.
From the Church of San Giovanni Battista, a steep flight of steps leads to the Church of San Filippo Neri. Built at the behest of the De Bonito family in the 10th century and initially dedicated to St Matthew, it shows Byzantine and medieval influences. Of outstanding workmanship is the colourful blue and white ‘riggiole’ floor, composed in a tight chequered mesh, dating back to the first decades of the 16th century. In the sacristy, adjacent to the right aisle, a fresco depicts the Calvary scene, with clear iconographic derivation from the late Middle Ages.
A few steps from the Church of San Filippo Neri stand the remains of an ancient medieval church, the Basilica of Sant’Eustachio, which despite being reduced to the state of ruins, still retains its majesty thanks to the three apses that rise many metres above the plateau. It was built in the 12th century on a commission from the noble D’Afflitto family. Positioned on a rocky spur, it offers a breathtaking view of the sea.
For trekking enthusiasts, two important paths start from Pontone: one for the Valle delle Ferriere and the other for Monte Aureo, on which, through ancient trees and the remains of ancient fortifications, you reach the Torre dello Ziro. The latter is all that remains of the medieval castle of Scalella. It stands on a spur of rock jutting out towards the sea and was once surrounded by crenellated walls that are still, in part, visible. The tower is known not only for its architectural interest but also because in the 16th century the Duchess Giovanna of Aragon was imprisoned and then murdered there with her children.
Photo © Discover Scala
