Nocera Inferiore
Encyclopedia
Nocera Inferiore, formerly Nocera dei Pagani, is a town and comune
in Campania
, Italy, in the province of Salerno
, at the foot of Monte Albino, 20 km east-south-east of Naples
by rail.
supremacy in southern Italy, Nuceria Alfaterna appears to have been the chief town in the valley of the Sarnus, Herculaneum
, Pompeii
, Stabiae
and Surrentum all being dependent upon it. The coins of the town bear the head of the river god. It maintained its allegiance to Rome till 309 BC when it joined the revolted Samnites. There is also an alphabet called nucerino, derived from the Etruscan
. In 308 BC it repulsed a Roman attempt to land at the mouth of the Sarnus, but in 307 BC it was besieged and surrendered. It obtained favourable terms, and remained faithful to Rome even after Cannae
.
Hannibal reduced it in 216 BC by starvation, and destroyed the town. The inhabitants returned when peace was restored. Even during the Social War Nuceria remained true to Rome, though the dependent towns joined the revolt; after it they were formed into independent communities, and Nuceria received the territory of Stabiae, which had been destroyed by Sulla in 89 BC, as a compensation. In 73 BC it was plundered by Spartacus
.
At an early date the city became an episcopal see, and in the 12th century it sided with Innocent II against Roger of Sicily, and suffered severely for its choice. In the 13th century had the name of Nuceria Christianorum (Nocera of the Christians), because a colony of Saracens was introduced by Frederick II
in the town of Lucera
, formerly known as Nuceria de Apulia
.
A small colony of Saracens was actually introduced in the town around the 9th century.
By the end of 15th century, until 1806 had the epithet ("of the pagans", Nuceria Paganorum). Today there is the town of Pagani, which lies about one 1.5 km to the west.
In 1385 Pope Urban VI was besieged in the castle by Charles III of Naples
.
, the widow of Manfred of Sicily
, was imprisoned in the Castle and died here after the battle of Benevento
(1268). Here also Urban VI
imprisoned the cardinals who favoured the antipope Clement VII
.
The castle also had like guests the writers Dante Alighieri
and Boccaccio.
About three kilometers to the east, near the village of Nocera Superiore, is the circular church of Santa Maria Maggiore, dating from the 6th century. Its chief feature is its dome, ceiled with stone internally, but covered externally with a false roof. It is supported by 40 ancient columns, and in its construction resembles Santo Stefano Rotondo
in Rome. The walls are covered with frescoes from the 14th century.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
in 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...
, Italy, in the province of Salerno
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...
, at the foot of Monte Albino, 20 km east-south-east of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
by rail.
History
In the period before the RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
supremacy in southern Italy, Nuceria Alfaterna appears to have been the chief town in the valley of the Sarnus, Herculaneum
Herculaneum
Herculaneum was an ancient Roman town destroyed by volcanic pyroclastic flows in AD 79, located in the territory of the current commune of Ercolano, in the Italian region of Campania in the shadow of Mt...
, Pompeii
Pompeii
The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning...
, Stabiae
Stabiae
Stabiae was an ancient Roman town, located close to the modern town of Castellammare di Stabia approximately 4.5 km southwest of Pompeii. It was positioned on a 50 m high headland overlooking the Gulf of Naples...
and Surrentum all being dependent upon it. The coins of the town bear the head of the river god. It maintained its allegiance to Rome till 309 BC when it joined the revolted Samnites. There is also an alphabet called nucerino, derived from the Etruscan
Old Italic alphabet
Old Italic refers to several now extinct alphabet systems used on the Italian Peninsula in ancient times for various Indo-European languages and non-Indo-European languages...
. In 308 BC it repulsed a Roman attempt to land at the mouth of the Sarnus, but in 307 BC it was besieged and surrendered. It obtained favourable terms, and remained faithful to Rome even after Cannae
Battle of Cannae
The Battle of Cannae was a major battle of the Second Punic War, which took place on August 2, 216 BC near the town of Cannae in Apulia in southeast Italy. The army of Carthage under Hannibal decisively defeated a numerically superior army of the Roman Republic under command of the consuls Lucius...
.
Hannibal reduced it in 216 BC by starvation, and destroyed the town. The inhabitants returned when peace was restored. Even during the Social War Nuceria remained true to Rome, though the dependent towns joined the revolt; after it they were formed into independent communities, and Nuceria received the territory of Stabiae, which had been destroyed by Sulla in 89 BC, as a compensation. In 73 BC it was plundered by Spartacus
Spartacus
Spartacus was a famous leader of the slaves in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Little is known about Spartacus beyond the events of the war, and surviving historical accounts are sometimes contradictory and may not always be reliable...
.
At an early date the city became an episcopal see, and in the 12th century it sided with Innocent II against Roger of Sicily, and suffered severely for its choice. In the 13th century had the name of Nuceria Christianorum (Nocera of the Christians), because a colony of Saracens was introduced by Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
in the town of Lucera
Lucera
Lucera is a town and comune in the Province of Foggia, in the Apulia region of southern Italy.-Ancient era and early Middle Ages :Lucera is an ancient city founded in Daunia, the centre of Dauni territory . Archeological excavations show the presence of a bronze age village inside the city boundaries...
, formerly known as Nuceria de Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
.
A small colony of Saracens was actually introduced in the town around the 9th century.
By the end of 15th century, until 1806 had the epithet ("of the pagans", Nuceria Paganorum). Today there is the town of Pagani, which lies about one 1.5 km to the west.
In 1385 Pope Urban VI was besieged in the castle by Charles III of Naples
Charles III of Naples
Charles the Short or Charles of Durazzo was King of Naples and titular King of Jerusalem from 1382 to 1386 as Charles III, and King of Hungary from 1385 to 1386 as Charles II. In 1382 Charles created the order of Argonauts of Saint Nicholas...
.
Main sights
HelenaHelena Angelina Doukaina
Helena Angelina Doukaina was the second wife but only Queen consort of Manfred of Sicily.-Biography:She was a daughter of Michael II Komnenos Doukas, Ruler of Epirus and his wife Theodora Petraliphaina...
, the widow of Manfred of Sicily
Manfred of Sicily
Manfred was the King of Sicily from 1258 to 1266. He was a natural son of the emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen but his mother, Bianca Lancia , is reported by Matthew of Paris to have been married to the emperor while on her deathbed.-Background:Manfred was born in Venosa...
, was imprisoned in the Castle and died here after the battle of Benevento
Battle of Benevento
The Battle of Benevento was fought near Benevento, in present-day Southern Italy, on February 26, 1266, between the troops of Charles of Anjou and Manfred of Sicily. Manfred's defeat and death resulted in the capture of the Kingdom of Sicily by Charles....
(1268). Here also Urban VI
Pope Urban VI
Pope Urban VI , born Bartolomeo Prignano, was Pope from 1378 to 1389.-Biography:Born in Itri, he was a devout monk and learned casuist, trained at Avignon. On March 21, 1364, he was consecrated Archbishop of Acerenza in the Kingdom of Naples...
imprisoned the cardinals who favoured the antipope Clement VII
Antipope Clement VII
Robert of Geneva was elected to the papacy as Pope Clement VII by the French cardinals who opposed Urban VI, and was the first Avignon antipope of the Western Schism.-Biography:...
.
The castle also had like guests the writers Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri
Durante degli Alighieri, mononymously referred to as Dante , was an Italian poet, prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker. He is best known for the monumental epic poem La commedia, later named La divina commedia ...
and Boccaccio.
About three kilometers to the east, near the village of Nocera Superiore, is the circular church of Santa Maria Maggiore, dating from the 6th century. Its chief feature is its dome, ceiled with stone internally, but covered externally with a false roof. It is supported by 40 ancient columns, and in its construction resembles Santo Stefano Rotondo
Santo Stefano Rotondo
The Basilica of St. Stephen in the Round on the Celian Hill is an ancient basilica and titular church in Rome, Italy. Commonly named Santo Stefano Rotondo, the church is the National church in Rome of Hungary dedicated to Saint Stephen and Saint Stephen of Hungary...
in Rome. The walls are covered with frescoes from the 14th century.
Notable people
- Francesco SolimenaFrancesco SolimenaFrancesco Solimena was a prolific Italian painter of the Baroque era, one of an established family of painters and draughtsmen.-Biography:Francesco Solimena was born in Canale di Serino, near Avellino....
, famous painterPaintingPainting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
in the BaroqueBaroqueThe Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
era - Jacopo Sannazzaro, famous poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, humanistRenaissance humanismRenaissance humanism was an activity of cultural and educational reform engaged by scholars, writers, and civic leaders who are today known as Renaissance humanists. It developed during the fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth centuries, and was a response to the challenge of Mediæval...
, and epigramEpigramAn epigram is a brief, interesting, usually memorable and sometimes surprising statement. Derived from the epigramma "inscription" from ἐπιγράφειν epigraphein "to write on inscribe", this literary device has been employed for over two millennia....
mist - San Ludovico D'AngiòLouis of ToulouseSaint Louis of Toulouse was a cadet of the royal French house of Anjou who was made a Catholic bishop. The California mission, city and county of San Luis Obispo, California, are named after him....
, canonized on April 7, 1317 by John XXII - Simone BaroneSimone BaroneSimone Barone, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer.-Club career:Barone started his career making his first team debut in 4 May 1997 for Parma, against Atalanta. He then played for Padova of Serie C1 in 1998, Alzano Virescit of Serie B in 1999.In summer 2000, he joined Chievo in a co-ownership...
, World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
-winning footballer - Raffaele De MartinoRaffaele De MartinoRaffaele De Martino is an Italian football midfielder.-Career:Along with Andrea Russotto, he was loan back form Swiss club Bellinzona to Treviso of Serie A.-Internationals:...
, footballer
See also
- Diocese of Nocera Inferiore-SarnoRoman Catholic Diocese of Nocera Inferiore-SarnoThe Italian Catholic diocese of Nocera Inferiore-Sarno was created in 1986, merging the historic diocese of Nocera de' Pagani with parts of the diocese of Cava e Sarno...
- Alphabet of Nuceria
- A.S.G. Nocerina