The Amal­fi coast is an area of great phys­i­cal beau­ty and nat­ur­al diver­si­ty. It has been inten­sive­ly set­tled by human com­mu­ni­ties since the ear­ly Mid­dle Ages. There are a num­ber of towns such as Amal­fi and Rav­el­lo with archi­tec­tur­al and artis­tic works of great sig­nif­i­cance. The rur­al areas show the ver­sa­til­i­ty of the inhab­i­tants in adapt­ing their use of the land to the diverse nature of the ter­rain, which ranges from ter­raced vine­yards and orchards on the low­er slopes to wide upland pas­tures.