The Residenza del Duca is located in an ancient palace which, already in 954, was part of a "hospitium domorum", that is a group of palaces owned by a single aristoctatic family.
The main entrance of such "hospitium domorum" is in Via Mastalo II, the name of the first and unlucky Duke of the Amalfi Republic.
The first two floors of this palace show some traces of the ancient Medieval architecture (XIII century); the upper floors are instead of Renaissance style: here is the location of the Residenza del Duca. Restoration works have been carried out carefully, keeping the typical XVII and XVIII century architecture represented respectively by the chestnut wood beaming ceiling and cloister and vaulted ceiling.
Each room has a balcony looking on a small square, the unique example of Medieval urban architecture in Amalfi. This square was previously called "Platea Fabrorum" (Blacksmiths' Square), because there was the blacksmiths' corporation and many craftsmen's shops. Even if today it is called Piazza dei Dogi, in honour of the dukes that ruled the Marine Republic from 957 to 1131, the old people of Amalfi still call it "Piazza de' Ferrari".
In 1398 in Piazza dei Dogi there was the palace of the feudatory Dukes of Amalfi: the Duchess Giovanna d'Aragona Piccolomini fell desperately in love with her servant Antonio Bologna. Their love story inspired a tale by Brandello and theatre plays by Lope de Vega and Webster.