Salernitano

<< Campania

The area around Salerno features several historic towns and attractions. To the north are various towns located at the foot of the mountains and at the easternmost reaches of the plain around Mount Vesuvius, called Agro Nocerino-Sarnese. East of Salerno are a coastal plain and a hilly region bordering Cilento.

Sarno

Sarno is a town located east of Mount Vesuvius in the Province of Salerno. Inhabited since ancient times, it was a small center of regional importance for centuries. In 1998, a large portion of the town was destroyed by a landslide.

Sarno Cathedral

Also known as: Church of San Michele Arcangelo

The Sarno Cathedral (Duomo di Sarno) is the main church in the town, built in the 17th century to replace a previous structure. The church was erected in Late Renaissance style and inside it is adorned with several Baroque artworks and decorations.

Nocera Inferiore

Nocera Inferiore is a town located at the foot of the mountains northwest of Salerno. Together with the nearby Nocera Superiore, it was the site of the ancient city of Nuceria Alfaterna. The two towns shared the same history until the 19th century, when they were separated. Nocera Inferiore houses various medieval landmarks.

Castello del Parco

The Castello del Parco is a castle located on a hill overlooking Nocera Inferiore. Built in the 10th century, it was later expanded and remained one of the main forts in the area for centuries. The castle was later abandoned, and in the 19th century a palace, called Palazzo Fienga, was built on part of the ruins. The palace now serves as a museum of local archaeology.

Basilica of Sant’Antonio

The Basilica of Sant’Antonio is a church and religious complex located at the foot of a hill in Nocera Inferiore. The church was built starting in the 13th century, and was later reworked a few times. The basilica houses various historic artworks, while the adjacent buildings host a rich art gallery and the Archaeological Museum of Agro Nocerino (Museo Archeologico dell’Agro Nocerino). This museum houses a large collection of archaeological findings unearthed in the area around the town.

Nocera Superiore

Nocera Superiore is a town located just east of Nocera Inferiore in the Province of Salerno. This place was once the site of Nuceria Alfaterna, founded by the Osci and later inhabited by Samnites and Romans. The town became one of the main centers of ancient Campania, but declined with the end of the Western Roman Empire. During the Middle Ages, the area became known as Nocera dei Pagani, until it was split into five towns in the 19th century. Nocera Superiore now houses some ruins of the ancient city.

Baptistery of Santa Maria Maggiore

The Baptistery of Santa Maria Maggiore (Battistero di Santa Maria Maggiore) is a Paleochristian baptistery erected in the 6th century in what is now Nocera Superiore. The structure has a circular plan and it is adorned with some medieval artworks and frescoes. A few ancient ruins are located around the baptistery, including parts of a Roman house.

Theater of Nuceria Alfaterna

The ancient Theater of Nuceria Alfaterna (Teatro di Nuceria Alfaterna) was erected in the 2nd century BCE and expanded in the 1st century CE. The theater was one of the largest of its kind in Campania, and various ruins of the structure have been unearthed.

Cava de’ Tirreni

Cava de’ Tirreni is a city located among the mountains northwest of Salerno. The town was founded by the Etruscans, but the modern city emerged during the Middle Ages. The city is now important for its position between Salerno, the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese, and the Amalfi Coast.

Abbey of Santissima Trinità

The Abbey of Santissima Trinità (Abbazia della Santissima Trinità) is a religious complex located among the mountains near Cava de’ Tirreni. The abbey was founded in the 11th century, and the complex was later reworked and expanded. Most of the current structure dates from the period between the 16th and 18th century, but also includes various medieval elements. The complex houses several ancient artworks and decorations, and also hosts a rich library with various medieval documents.

Pontecagnano Faiano

Pontecagnano Faiano is a town located in the coastal plain east of Salerno. The area has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and was the site of the ancient Roman city of Picentia. The modern town only emerged in the past few centuries, and it is now an agricultural and industrial center.

National Archaeological Museum of Pontecagnano

The National Archaeological Museum of Pontecagnano (Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Pontecagnano) is a museum housing a wide range of archaeological findings unearthed in the area around the town. The objects housed in the museum range from prehistory to the Roman age, and include findings from a nearby necropolis and the ruins of the ancient town of Picentia.

Battipaglia

Battipaglia is a city and industrial center located in the coastal plain east of Salerno. This area was colonized by the Greeks and later inhabited by the Romans, while the modern town emerged in the Middle Ages, and only became its own municipality in 1929. Heavily damaged during World War II, it was quickly rebuilt and became a large industrial and agricultural center.

Battipaglia Castle

The Battipaglia Castle is a fort located on a hill overlooking Battipaglia. Erected around the 11th century over a previous structure, it was turned into a Gothic Revival palace in the 1920s, and now it can be visited.

Eboli

Eboli is a town located at the foot of the mountains east of Battipaglia, in the Province of Salerno. Inhabited since ancient times, it became a Roman city and was destroyed by the Visigoths in 410 and later sacked by the Saracens, but remained an important fortified position throughout the Middle Ages. Now it is mainly an agricultural center.

National Archaeological Museum of Eboli and Media Valle del Sele

The National Archaeological Museum of Eboli and Media Valle del Sele (Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Eboli e della Media Valle del Sele) houses a large collection of archaeological findings unearthed in Eboli and the surrounding region. The objects hosted here span a period between prehistory and the Middle Ages, and include numerous Greek and pre-Roman artworks.

Buccino

Buccino is a small town located among the hills east of Eboli, in the Province of Salerno. The town was founded in ancient times, and was a Roman city with the name Volcei, but has remained a small center since the Middle Ages.

National Archaeological Museum of Volcei

The National Archaeological Museum of Volcei (Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Volcei) is a museum hosted in a medieval monastery in Buccino. The museum houses numerous ancient archaeological findings from the ancient town of Volcei and the surrounding area, spanning a period between prehistory and the Roman age.