The church is so called because of the stream (wastewater) that still flows under the road to it now and was built in a period subsequent to 832; in that year, the Duke Sicardo conquered Amalfi and deported the inhabitants to Salerno, confining them in the current quarter said the "Fornelle"; prisoners so wanted to build a church dedicated to their patron. The front of the temple is currently facing to the east, but was once turned to the West, in this situation it remained until at least the end of the 16th century: the first church, built on the ruins of a Roman building, is buried at least 6 meters below the present street level, and has the remains of three apses frescoes of which only the center is clearly visible, with the representation of the four Archangels.

Around the 10th century, perhaps as a result of a flood, the previous church was partly demolished and used as a burial ground (some skeletons recently unearthed, are still in the original position and are made visible, creating an evocative atmosphere), and on it there was built a larger one, of which there are still two of the three naves, plus a few stump of a fresco depicting two saints and an inscription in greek, which testifies to a possible different environment, in addition to the amalfitan one. 

The third church was built on the previous one (which became in turn a burial ground) around the 12th century: witness of the change is a palimpsest of frescoes (the oldest of which date back to that era) representing two holy bishops (early 14th century), a second layer hardly readable and a third layer 17th-century painted as a fake tabernacle, with scenes from the life of a saint, maybe Andrea himself.

C/D - From Chiesa di Sant'Andrea de Lama to Giardino della Minerva - 4 min

Going up alley of Porta Rateprandi, turn left to take vicolo degli Amalfitani and then vicolo delle Fornelle, until you reach the Fusandola Lift. From here you go upstairs, at the height of Via Tasso. Once you have come out on Via Tasso, take the climb of Via Porta di Ronca immediately to the left, to finally reach the entrance of the Giardino della Minerva

Other places to visit nearby

Ascensore Pubblico Fusandola - The free lift takes you directly from piazza Matteo D'Aiello to via Tasso.

Torre dei Ladri  - From the Lombard period onwards, the city has been regularly updated in its fortifications, with wall extensions and defensive towers. Inside the historic center there are today two towers, both Lombard: the "Torre dei Ladri", in the Madonna delle Grazie district, and the "Torre di Guaiferio", in the Municipio district. "Torre dei Ladri", placed to guard the door of Ronca at the beginning of the so-called decumanus of via Tasso at the point where the steps that go up from Fusandola end,  is shown in all its might among the remains of the western wall. It is said that, in the Lombard period, the bodies of executed thieves were hung and displayed on the battlements of this fortress as a warning to those who committed crimes. The bodies were later handed over to the Medical School for study. From this legend it would take the name. A further legend concerns the belief that, starting from the 14th century, the tower and its basements were used by thieves to escape arrest and hide fabulous treasures.