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Salerno

The capital of the province of the same name, is beautifully situated on the Gulf of Salerno. Anywhere else in the south of Italy, a city like Salerno would be an attraction in itself; here it gets lost among the wonders of the Campanian coast - just a big town at the end of the Amalfi Coast. The old quarter inland has narrow streets and along the shore a modern quarter extends along the coastline. The town was much devastated in the fighting of 1943 and considerably damaged by a landslip in 1954. Nevertheless, Salerno has its modest charms, not least of which is that it is a clean and orderly place. Things to see Cathedral San Matteo - Founded in 845 and rebuilt by Robert Guiscard in 1076-85. The façade hides a courtyard with a fountain at the centre and a detached bell tower - as if it were not a church at all, but a mosque.