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Ciao Amalfi

Writing

Amalfi Coast Writing

I came to writing through a love of place, and one very special place – the Amalfi Coast. While books and reading have been my life from a young age, it wasn’t until I first visited the Amalfi Coast that I could no longer resist putting pen to paper. This writing journey has taken many forms over the years, from the scribblings here on Ciao Amalfi to articles, photography, and my guidebook Moon Amalfi Coast with Capri, Naples & Pompeii. What drives me forward on this journey is a continual desire to capture the beauty of the Amalfi Coast’s landscape, people, history, and life in an honest way. For me it comes most naturally through the interplay of words and images – my happy place!

 

Below is a selection of my writing about the Amalfi Coast. I write stories that capture a sense of place and bring the magic that is the Amalfi Coast to life. With a decade of experience copywriting, I also enjoy writing vibrant and moving website and editorial copy. Please contact me if you’re interesting in collaborating!

Books

Moon Travel Guides – Moon Amalfi Coast with Capri, Naples & Pompeii (1st Edition – August 2019)

It was a joy to write my first travel guide to the entire Amalfi Coast area for Moon Travel Guides. It includes an in depth guide to the Amalfi Coast along with Capri, Ischia, Procida, the Sorrento Peninsula, Naples, and Pompeii. Find out more about Moon Amalfi Coast with Capri, Naples & Pompeii.

 

Moon Travel Guides – Moon Amalfi Coast with Capri, Naples & Pompeii (2nd Edition – Forthcoming autumn 2021)

Thanks to the success if the 1st edition, I am currently working on updates and additions to make the 2nd edition of Moon Amalfi Coast an even more useful and vibrant guidebook.

 

Moon Travel Guides – Moon Southern Italy (1st Edition – Forthcoming autumn 2021)

Planning a trip to the Amalfi Coast and southern Italy? This forthcoming Moon Travel Guides book will feature the highlights of the Amalfi Coast, Naples, and Capri areas from Moon Amalfi Coast with Capri, Naples & Pompeii along with a brand new section on the Cilento Coast. The book will also include Puglia, Sicily, and southern Italy written by a co-author.

Magazines

Italia! Magazine

The UK’s Award-Winning print magazine about Italy – Italia! Magazine:

“A Twist of Lemon,” January 2018. Feature article on that most classic Italian Christmas cake, the panettone, Amalfi-style created by the Pasticceria Pansa.

“48 Hours in Positano,” March 2018. Feature article and photographs. (Digital version of print article available here.)

“48 Hours in Ravello,” August 2018. Feature article and photographs. (Digital version of print article available here.)

 

Starting in April 2012, it was an honor for me to join the Italia! team as the From Here to There columnist contributing monthly travel and lifestyle experiences on the Amalfi Coast for almost a year.

Italia! Magazine December 2011, Issue 85 – My Italia! Feature on Laura Thayer

Italia! April 2012, Issue 89 – As Amalfi Wakes

Italia! May 2012, Issue 90 – The Ties that Bind

Italia! June 2012, Issue 91 – Twists & Turns of Life

Italia! July 2012, Issue 92 – Escape to the Beach

Italia! August 2012, Issue 93 – Escape to the Mountains

Italia! September 2012, Issue 94 – The Language of Food

Italia! October 2012, Issue 95 – The First Signs of Autumn

Italia! December 2012, Issue 97 – Christmas in Amalfi

Italia! January 2013, Issue 98 – Calm and Quiet in Amalfi

Italia! February 2013, Issue 99 – Goodbye from Amalfi

 

NIAF Ambassador Magazine

“Minori on the Amalfi Coast,” Spring 2018. Feature article and photographs.

“The Amalfi Coast: Walking Through History One Step at a Time,” Fall 2014. Feature article and photographs.

“Capri: Finding the Height of Beauty,” Winter 2014. Feature article and photographs.

 

Dream of Italy

Guest edited and wrote Capri Special Report (April/May 2020).

Contributed article “Capri Walks: The Best Way to See the Island” (June/July 2017).

Contributed article “The Unexpected Vineyards of the Amalfi Coast” (October 2017).

Education

A little bit about my background since the writer I am today was largely shaped by time spent in two special places: the Great Books Program at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland and the incredible Art History department at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

 

Masters of Arts in Art History, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, 2008

  • Master’s Thesis: “Rebuilding Identity: The Nineteenth-Century Facade of the Duomo of Amalfi”

 

Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts, St. John’s College, Annapolis, Maryland, USA, 2002

  • Majors: Philosophy, History of Mathematics and Science
  • Minors: Classical Studies, Comparative Literature

Memberships

The Authors Guild

 

International Travel Writers Alliance

 

Society of Architectural Historians

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Ciao!

My name is Laura and the Amalfi Coast is my passion and my home. I’m a writer and photographer who is endlessly inspired by the incredible beauty of the Amalfi Coast. Welcome to Ciao Amalfi!

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The 66th Regata delle Antiche Repubbliche Marinare The 66th Regata delle Antiche Repubbliche Marinare is here! This weekend is full of exciting events as the Regatta of the Ancient Maritime Republics returns to Amalfi after 6 years. This event sees teams from Amalfi, Pisa, Genoa, and Venice compete in a boat race in historic galleons as well as a historic parade. Stay tuned for photos and videos from the parade today and the boat race tomorrow. Forza Amalfi! 💙

#amalfi #amalficoast #ciaoamalfi #visitamalfi #italyhistory #italytravel
Last month I did a mini staycation in Positano and Last month I did a mini staycation in Positano and I loved it! Even though it’s just down the coast from Amalfi, I enjoyed the quiet of the early morning and breakfast with those famous Positano views. And a relaxed dinner without a long (and twisty!) drive home. This view from above Arienzo beach is one of my favorites of Positano.

#positano #amalficoast #positanoitaly #amalficoastitaly #costieraamalfitana #italytravel #positanoview #arienzo #amalficoastview #ciaoamalfi
That this place is just down the coastline is stil That this place is just down the coastline is still a marvel to me. Yesterday morning the colors in Positano were brilliant. 💙

#Positano #AmalfiCoast #ciaoamalfi #amalficoastitaly #positanoitaly #amalficoastbeaches #positanobeach #positanoview #positanoamalficoast #expatlife #italyexpat #italyexpatlife #italytravel #italyiloveyou
You know that feeling when you’re walking around You know that feeling when you’re walking around with something weighing on your mind? I didn’t even realize that’s what I’ve been doing until I had a follow up exam yesterday and got the all clear. At the same office in Amalfi where this whole journey with breast cancer began last June. I took a different sort of walk afterwards and that cloud over Amalfi made me laugh a bit. All clear! Float away little cloud of worry that has been following me around. Vattene! 🌬
After Flavio Gioia, the next natural stop for the After Flavio Gioia, the next natural stop for the #AmalfiCoastCompass series is the Arsenale, where the galleys and ships were built and repaired during the Republic of Amalfi. Just a few steps from Piazza Flavio Gioia, the Arsenale is the only medieval shipyard in Italy to have survived intact. Dating back to the 11th century, its two long aisles with stone cross vaults and pointed arches creates an evocative space.

Today the beautifully restored Arsenale is the setting for art exhibitions and cultural events. Yesterday was the opening for Kerameikos (April 8 - May 10, 2022), an exhibition of contemporary Vietri ceramic arts curated by professor and art critic Massimo Bignardi and organized by @agarte_fucinadellearti. The show brings together 160 works by four master ceramicists from the Amalfi Coast: Salvatore Autuori, Vincenzo Caruso, Giuseppe Di Muro, and Ferdinando Vassallo.

Take a look through the photos to see a glimpse of the exhibit. Second photo: I loved the bright colors and geometric shapes of Salvatore Autuori's work. Third photo: beautiful historical elements in pieces by Giuseppe Di Muro. Fourth photo: look closely at the textures from nature in Ferdinando Vassallo's ceramic series. Fifth photo: the mix of colors in this vase by Enzo Caruso was stunning in person.

The exhibit is free to visit and is open from 10am-1pm/ 4pm-4pm Wednesday to Sunday. For more information check out www.arsenalediamalfi.it.
It’s already back to rainy in Amalfi, but yester It’s already back to rainy in Amalfi, but yesterday was something splendid when the sun came out. Colors quite like this don’t come along with the storms. I’ll take it all!
One of the first things I noticed about the Amalfi One of the first things I noticed about the Amalfi Coast was that I had a lot of questions. It was unlike any place I had ever been. Just over 15 years later, I still have plenty of questions and am constantly seeing new things. This place really has taught me to slow down and look closer.

With that spirit, I’m starting a new series called #AmalfiCoastCompass where I’ll show you places you might have missed, things you might have wondered about, and ideas for your next trip to the Amalfi Coast.

There’s no better place to start the Compass Series than with this statue in Amalfi. Have you noticed it before in the middle of Piazza Flavio Gioia? It’s a statue of Flavio Gioia, a figure from the 13th century credited with inventing the compass for sailing. He stands holding a bussola, or compass, gazing intently downward at the instrument in his left hand while his right points forward. 

While the existence of this particular mariner is questionable, what is sure is that Amalfi was Italy’s first maritime republic and its sailors not only crisscrossed the Mediterranean and traveled as far east as Constantinople but also created maritime codes that were used for centuries. So while the exact creator or individuals behind the perfection of the compass for navigational use will likely never be known, the statue represents Amalfi’s contribution to travel as we know it today. 

This statue was created by Alfonso Balzico, an Italian sculptor born in 1825 in Cava de' Tirreni - not far from Vietri sul Mare on the Amalfi Coast. He studied in Naples and created many important statues around Italy. His statue of Flavio Gioia was created in 1892 and won a gold medal at the 1900 World Exposition in Paris. (Flavio Gioia was still getting around the world!) It was on display in Rome after Balzico's death in 1901 until the city of Amalfi acquired the statue and it was placed in Piazza Flavio Gioia in 1926. It’s been moved a couple of times (at least) but now it’s located in the center of the traffic circle surrounded by a fountain and little landscaped garden. And one last little curiosity: the statue of Flavio Gioia is oriented facing north.
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