La "Grotta dell'affresco": Il fenomeno del monachesimo sul confine tra il Ducato di Amalfi e il Principato di Salerno

During the Middle Ages, a migratory wave of Byzantine monks arrived in the Amalfi Coast. This phenomenon affected both the Duchy of Amalfi and the Principality of Salerno. The written sources of this period mention the translation of the relics, the adoption of the cult of Byzantine saints and the arrival in the territory of specialized craftsmen. The site, object of the study, is situated between the municipalities of Cetara and Maiori. The geological conformation and the ruggedness of the territory is excellent for the experience of Oriental troglodyte monasticism. However, for the same reason, systematic studies on the occupation of caves and high altitude settlements are scarce. The "Grotta dell'affresco", in the area of Monte Piano, represents the site with the most notable evidence of Middle Age material culture. The surface survey revealed the presence of several fictile fragments and a fresco, dating to the medieval period. The caves complex of Monte Piano is part of a wider area of Byzantine religious settlements which occupy the territory of Campania between late 9^th and 11^th centuries