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Capodanno Bizantino 2026: Amalfi's Medieval Festival, With Arisa's Closing Concert
A medieval reenactment of the old Maritime Republic runs from Amalfi's cathedral to Atrani, 31 August to 2 September 2026, closing with a free piano-and-voice concert in Piazza Duomo.
What is the Capodanno Bizantino, and what's new in the 2026 edition?
The Capodanno Bizantino recreates Amalfi's medieval calendar, when the Maritime Republic began its year on 1 September rather than 1 January. The 2026 edition runs from Monday 31 August to Wednesday 2 September: it opens with a public interview with this year's Magister of Civiltà Amalfitana, Franco Nuschese, an Amalfi-born restaurateur who built much of his career in New York and is now among the most prominent Italians in the US restaurant world. On Sunday 1 September, the Historical Procession of the ancient Maritime Republic departs from the Cathedral of Sant'Andrea in Amalfi and heads on foot to neighbouring Atrani, in costume, for the investiture ceremony proper, held at the Church of San Salvatore de' Birecto — the same church where Amalfi's medieval doges were once crowned.
The grand finale, on Tuesday 2 September, moves back to Amalfi's Piazza Duomo for a musical evening with singer Arisa performing an intimate voice-and-piano set on the cathedral's monumental staircase. First reported by the Comune di Amalfi's own press office, with programme details confirmed by Salernotoday and Ulisse Online.
How do you build a Costiera Amalfitana visit around it?
The most photogenic moment is the Sunday procession, when costumed 'ladies and knights' walk the coast path between Amalfi and Atrani — a 15-minute walk that's pleasant on an ordinary day and genuinely atmospheric with a medieval parade moving through it. Anyone staying in Amalfi, Atrani, or Ravello should plan to be in the old centre for the afternoon of 1 September rather than out on a boat trip, since that's when both the procession and the investiture happen.
In past editions, the Piazza Duomo concert has been free to attend on a first-come basis; check the Comune di Amalfi's own event listings closer to the date to confirm 2026's exact terms. Late August still sits in the coast's high season, so booking a table nearby for the finale evening is worth doing in advance rather than showing up and hoping.
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The maritime republic that gave the coast its name — a striped duomo, paper mills tucked in a wooded gorge, and the quiet center of the Costiera.
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