Acerno
Encyclopedia
Acerno, is a town and in the province of Salerno
in the region of Campania
in south-western Italy
.
at 727 metres above sea level in the valley of the Tusciano
, a river which rises on the slopes of Monte Polveracchio. It lies within the Parco regionale Monti Picentini, a regional park of the Monti Picentini
group in the Southern Apennines. The neighbouring municipalities are Giffoni Valle Piana
, Montecorvino Rovella
, Calabritto
, Senerchia
, Montella
, Bagnoli Irpino
and Olevano sul Tusciano
.
The communal territory has an elevation varying between 400 and 1790 metres above sea level. Outside of the town itself it is entirely uninhabited by humans: there are no satellite hamlets or even scattered dwellings under permanent habitation. It is rich in flora, however, with forests of maple
, oak
, chestnut
, hazel
, beech
and alder
, while the fauna includes golden eagle
s, dormice, wild cat
s, otter
s and wolves.
The town therefore acts as a base for excursions to the mountains Monte Cervialto, Monte Polveracchio and Monte Acella the peaks reachable after hours of walking and climbing. Although Acerno does attract tourists, the economy is largely based on agriculture: especially sheep, cattle and pig farming, and cereal cultivation.
. The earliest known documentary reference however, preserved in the archives of the abbey of Cava de’ Tirreni, dates from 1027 and refers to fruit growing in a place called Acerno. The origins of the name are uncertain, but a plausible derivation is from Acer (genus), the Latin for the maple tree: this was the view of Girolamo Olivieri, bishop of Cerno from 1525 to 1539, who reported to the Holy See that ‘the town is called Acerno from the multitude of maples.’
.
Around 1150, Guido de Acerno inherited the comune from his father Tommaso. On August 17, 1254, Pope Innocent IV
granted Philip d'Acerno possession of Acerno, Castronuovo and various feudal estates. In 1272 Charles I of Anjou granted Acerno to his eldest son Charles, Prince of Salerno. In 1298 it fell under the ownership of Roger of Lauria
and was later owned by William Vaccaro (1337), Roberto Grillo (1346), Francesco Guindazzo (1381) and Antonio de Muro (1445). In 1453 a university for Acerno and Calabritto was built.
In 1469, Troiano Santomango became lord of Acerno, Calabritto and Muro, and on 11 September 1500 reached a financial agreement with other feudal lords over taxes. The territory was inherited by his son, Camillo Colonna Marcello, who after his father's death in 1534 owned the land until his death on December 10, 1558. He was succeeded by his son Pompeo, who in 1577 sold the land for 30,500 ducats to Diomedes, Marquis of Castiglione.
Diomedes died on October 2, 1596 and was succeeded by his son Ascanio, who died on August 12, 1605 and was succeeded by his son, Fulvio. In 1619 he loaned the lands under Royal Assent and after a series of owners, including Pompeo Colonna
, in 1665 the estate fell into the hands of Antonio Tocco. Tocco died on March 5, 1678 and was succeeded by his nephew Charles, who sold Acerno to Nicola Gascon, Knight of the Order of Alcantara. The Gascon family ran Acerno throughout much of the 18th century until 1777 when it was ceded to the Royal Court when Marquis Giuseppe Gascon, the last owner died without legitimate heirs. Girola Mascaro, President of the Royal House of Salermo was granted power of the territory in 1781 but with the end of feudalism in 1806, he was the last feudal lord of Acerno.
The Bishopric of Acerno dates back to the 11 or 12th century. The first bishop was named Pisano who was appointed in 1136, followed by Peter, who took part in the Lateran Council in 1179. Acerno lost its own bishopric in 1818 and today has been merged into the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salerno-Campagna-Acerno
in its present form since September 30, 1986.
, the Anglo-American air forces bombed Acerno, the first time in September, 1943, destroying part of the bishop's palace, the church of S. Maria degli Angeli as well as numerous blocks. On 16 September 1943 five German soldiers invaded the garden of Canon Carmine Sansone, and while they were busy gathering the fruit from the trees, were killed with precision fire from a rifle by the priest. The Germans then shelled the house of the canon, the priest escaped but his niece died in the event.
, built in 1444, has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. The interior has four paintings depicting the four Evangelists, the work of an artist called Pallas in 1797.
The church of Our Lady of Grace, has an altar in polychrome marble, with the portrait of Our Lady of Grace crowned in the centre.
There is also the remains of the castle that belonged to Roger of Lauria
.
. 7 August is the feast day of the patron saint: Donatus
, Bishop of Arezzo, who was martyred (according to the Martyrologium Hieronymianum
) in 362 by Quadratian, a prefect of the Roman Emperor
Julian the Apostate
. Celebrations include a procession of the saint, music in the square, stalls selling local produce and closing fireworks. The second Sunday of November is the Sagra of the chestnut: a foodstuff central to the traditional economy of the place.
Province of Salerno
The Province of Salerno is a province in the Campania region of Italy.-Geography:The largest towns in the province are: Salerno, the capital, which has a population of 139,579; Cava de' Tirreni with a population of 53,488; Battipaglia with a population of 51,115; and Nocera Inferiore which has a...
in the region of Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
in south-western Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Geography
Acerno, population 2,867 at the end of March 2009, is a small town, or large village, located 40 km north-east of the provincial capital of SalernoSalerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
at 727 metres above sea level in the valley of the Tusciano
Tusciano
- Course :The source is between Monte Polveracchio and Monte Cervialto, in the Monti Picentini range of the southern Apennines. It passes through the territories of...
, a river which rises on the slopes of Monte Polveracchio. It lies within the Parco regionale Monti Picentini, a regional park of the Monti Picentini
Monti Picentini
thumb|300px|Rocky limestone landscape in the monti Picentini.The Monti Picentini is a mountain range and national park in southern Italy, part of the Apennines, traditionally part in the Campanian Apennines...
group in the Southern Apennines. The neighbouring municipalities are Giffoni Valle Piana
Giffoni Valle Piana
Giffoni Valle Piana is a town and comune in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-west Italy.Economy is mostly based on agriculture, with the presence of a small number of light industries and services firms.-History:...
, Montecorvino Rovella
Montecorvino Rovella
Montecorvino Rovella is a town and comune in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-west Italy.-Geography:Montecorvino borders with the municipalities of Acerno, Battipaglia, Bellizzi, Giffoni Valle Piana, Montecorvino Pugliano and Olevano sul Tusciano.It includes the frazioni of...
, Calabritto
Calabritto
Calabritto is an Italian town and a commune in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy. As of 2009 its population was of 2,567.-History:The town was struck by the 1980 Irpinia earthquake on November 23. The town had to be rebuilt after the serious damage that was inflicted. It is in the...
, Senerchia
Senerchia
Senerchia is an Italian municipality of 1370 registered voters, but with only 1036 inhabitants, of province of Avellino, located in High Valley Sele in Campania.-Geography:...
, Montella
Montella
Montella is a town with 7,979 inhabitants, comune in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy. The zone was inhabited already in the neolithic period. The town was born like Sannites' village in the I millennium a.C., to become a Municipality of Roman empire and town under the...
, Bagnoli Irpino
Bagnoli Irpino
Bagnoli Irpino is a town and comune in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy.The bordering municipalities of Bagnoli are Acerno , Calabritto, Caposele, Lioni, Montella and Nusco....
and Olevano sul Tusciano
Olevano sul Tusciano
Olevano sul Tusciano is a town and comune in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy.- Civil Architectures :*Villa romana di S. Maria a Corte.*Castrum Olibani - Longobard castle.* Pope gardens in Salitto...
.
The communal territory has an elevation varying between 400 and 1790 metres above sea level. Outside of the town itself it is entirely uninhabited by humans: there are no satellite hamlets or even scattered dwellings under permanent habitation. It is rich in flora, however, with forests of maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
, oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, chestnut
Chestnut
Chestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
, hazel
Hazel
The hazels are a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae, though some botanists split the hazels into a separate family Corylaceae.They have simple, rounded leaves with double-serrate margins...
, beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
and alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
, while the fauna includes golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
s, dormice, wild cat
Wild cat
The wildcat is a small cat with several subspecies and a very broad distribution, found throughout most of Africa, Europe, and southwest and central Asia into India, China, and Mongolia. It is a hunter of small mammals, birds, and other creatures of a similar or smaller size. Sometimes included is...
s, otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
s and wolves.
The town therefore acts as a base for excursions to the mountains Monte Cervialto, Monte Polveracchio and Monte Acella the peaks reachable after hours of walking and climbing. Although Acerno does attract tourists, the economy is largely based on agriculture: especially sheep, cattle and pig farming, and cereal cultivation.
History
Acerno was founded by refugees from Picentia (today Pontecagnano), which had been destroyed by the Romans after the Second Punic WarSecond Punic War
The Second Punic War, also referred to as The Hannibalic War and The War Against Hannibal, lasted from 218 to 201 BC and involved combatants in the western and eastern Mediterranean. This was the second major war between Carthage and the Roman Republic, with the participation of the Berbers on...
. The earliest known documentary reference however, preserved in the archives of the abbey of Cava de’ Tirreni, dates from 1027 and refers to fruit growing in a place called Acerno. The origins of the name are uncertain, but a plausible derivation is from Acer (genus), the Latin for the maple tree: this was the view of Girolamo Olivieri, bishop of Cerno from 1525 to 1539, who reported to the Holy See that ‘the town is called Acerno from the multitude of maples.’
Feudalism
The comune was the centre of a feud for a long time amongst noble families and throughout the Middle Ages passed hands many times during the Kingdom of NaplesKingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
.
Around 1150, Guido de Acerno inherited the comune from his father Tommaso. On August 17, 1254, Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV , born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was pope from June 25, 1243 until his death in 1254.-Early life:...
granted Philip d'Acerno possession of Acerno, Castronuovo and various feudal estates. In 1272 Charles I of Anjou granted Acerno to his eldest son Charles, Prince of Salerno. In 1298 it fell under the ownership of Roger of Lauria
Roger of Lauria
Roger of Lauria, Loria or de Llúria in Catalan , was an Sicilian-Aragonese admiral, who was the commander of the fleet of Aragon during the War of the Sicilian Vespers. He was probably the most successful and talented naval tactician of the medieval period...
and was later owned by William Vaccaro (1337), Roberto Grillo (1346), Francesco Guindazzo (1381) and Antonio de Muro (1445). In 1453 a university for Acerno and Calabritto was built.
In 1469, Troiano Santomango became lord of Acerno, Calabritto and Muro, and on 11 September 1500 reached a financial agreement with other feudal lords over taxes. The territory was inherited by his son, Camillo Colonna Marcello, who after his father's death in 1534 owned the land until his death on December 10, 1558. He was succeeded by his son Pompeo, who in 1577 sold the land for 30,500 ducats to Diomedes, Marquis of Castiglione.
Diomedes died on October 2, 1596 and was succeeded by his son Ascanio, who died on August 12, 1605 and was succeeded by his son, Fulvio. In 1619 he loaned the lands under Royal Assent and after a series of owners, including Pompeo Colonna
Pompeo Colonna
Pompeo Colonna was an Italian Cardinal, politician and condottiero.Born in Rome, he fought very early against the traditional family enemies, the Orsini....
, in 1665 the estate fell into the hands of Antonio Tocco. Tocco died on March 5, 1678 and was succeeded by his nephew Charles, who sold Acerno to Nicola Gascon, Knight of the Order of Alcantara. The Gascon family ran Acerno throughout much of the 18th century until 1777 when it was ceded to the Royal Court when Marquis Giuseppe Gascon, the last owner died without legitimate heirs. Girola Mascaro, President of the Royal House of Salermo was granted power of the territory in 1781 but with the end of feudalism in 1806, he was the last feudal lord of Acerno.
The Bishopric of Acerno dates back to the 11 or 12th century. The first bishop was named Pisano who was appointed in 1136, followed by Peter, who took part in the Lateran Council in 1179. Acerno lost its own bishopric in 1818 and today has been merged into the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salerno-Campagna-Acerno
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salerno-Campagna-Acerno
The archdiocese of Salerno-Campagna-Acerno is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in Campania, southern Italy, created in 1986. The historic archdiocese of Salerno was in existence from the tenth century, having been elevated from a sixth century diocese...
in its present form since September 30, 1986.
World War II
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Anglo-American air forces bombed Acerno, the first time in September, 1943, destroying part of the bishop's palace, the church of S. Maria degli Angeli as well as numerous blocks. On 16 September 1943 five German soldiers invaded the garden of Canon Carmine Sansone, and while they were busy gathering the fruit from the trees, were killed with precision fire from a rifle by the priest. The Germans then shelled the house of the canon, the priest escaped but his niece died in the event.
Main sights
The Cathedral of San DonatoAcerno Cathedral
Acerno Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral, dedicated to Saint Donatus of Arezzo, in the town of Acerno in Campania, Italy.From the 11th century it was the seat of the Bishop of Acerno...
, built in 1444, has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. The interior has four paintings depicting the four Evangelists, the work of an artist called Pallas in 1797.
The church of Our Lady of Grace, has an altar in polychrome marble, with the portrait of Our Lady of Grace crowned in the centre.
There is also the remains of the castle that belonged to Roger of Lauria
Roger of Lauria
Roger of Lauria, Loria or de Llúria in Catalan , was an Sicilian-Aragonese admiral, who was the commander of the fleet of Aragon during the War of the Sicilian Vespers. He was probably the most successful and talented naval tactician of the medieval period...
.
Notable people
- Pietro Vezzi, philosopher and physician of the Schola Medica SalernitanaSchola Medica SalernitanaThe Schola Medica Salernitana was the first medieval medical school in the cosmopolitan coastal south Italian city of Salerno, which provided the most important source of medical knowledge in Western Europe at the time...
. - Thomas II, Bishop of Nocera in Apulia in 1328.
- Sichelman, a tenth-century figure mentioned in the Chronicon SalernitanumChronicon SalernitanumThe Chronicon Salernitanum, or "Salerno Chronicle", is an anonymous 10th century chronicle of the history of the Principality of Salerno. It was probably written around 990 and has been attributed to Radoald of Salerno, Abbot of San Benedetto, by Huguette Taviani-Carozzi...
. He invented a stone-throwing siege engineSiege engineA siege engine is a device that is designed to break or circumvent city walls and other fortifications in siege warfare. Some have been operated close to the fortifications, while others have been used to attack from a distance. From antiquity, siege engines were constructed largely of wood and...
for Gisulf I of SalernoGisulf I of SalernoGisulf I was the eldest son of his father, Guaimar II, and his second wife Gaitelgrima. He was associated with his father as prince of Salerno in 943 and he succeeded him on his death in 952...
. - Giovanni Freda, president of the High Court.
- Vitale Luppo, conductor.
- Giacinto Maselli, distinguished scholar and poet.
- Andrea Angelo ZottoliAngelo ZottoliAngelo Zottoli was an Italian Catholic priest and missionary in China and a sinologist. He was born in Acerno. In 1843, he joined the Jesuits. In 1848, he passed an Imperial examination as one of the first Europeans. From 1853 he taught in St. Ignatius College for Chinese Christian students...
, sinologist and Jesuit missionary, was born in Acerno in 1826 and died in ShanghaiShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
in 1902. His major work is the Cursus litteraturae sinicae (5 vols., 1879–82), including translation into Latin of the greatest works in prose and poetry in Chinese literatureChinese literatureChinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
.
Annual festivals
February is the month of the Picentine CarnivalCarnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
. 7 August is the feast day of the patron saint: Donatus
Donatus of Arezzo
Saint Donatus of Arezzo is the patron saint of Arezzo, and considered a bishop of the city.A Passio of Donatus' life was written by a bishop of Arezzo, Severinus; it is of questionable historicity. He calls Donatus a martyr, though Donatus is described as a bishop and confessor of the faith in...
, Bishop of Arezzo, who was martyred (according to the Martyrologium Hieronymianum
Martyrologium Hieronymianum
The Martyrologium Hieronymianum was a medieval list of martyrs, one of the most used and influential of the Middle Ages...
) in 362 by Quadratian, a prefect of the Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Julian the Apostate
Julian the Apostate
Julian "the Apostate" , commonly known as Julian, or also Julian the Philosopher, was Roman Emperor from 361 to 363 and a noted philosopher and Greek writer....
. Celebrations include a procession of the saint, music in the square, stalls selling local produce and closing fireworks. The second Sunday of November is the Sagra of the chestnut: a foodstuff central to the traditional economy of the place.