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Human settlement at Salerno has a rich and vibrant past, dating back to pre-historic times. In theearly Middle Ages it was an independent Lombard principality, thePrincipality of Salerno, which around the 11th century comprised most of Southern Italy. During this time, theSchola Medica Salernitana, the first medical school in the world, was founded. The Normans in 1077 made Salerno the capital of their rule in all continental southern Italy. In the 16th century, under theSanseverino family, among the most powerful feudal lords in southern Italy, the city became a great centre of learning, culture and the arts, and the family hired several of the greatest intellectuals of the time.[8] Later, in 1694, the city was struck by several catastrophic earthquakes and plagues.[8] During a period of Spanish rule the city suffered a crisis which would last until the 18th century, but underNapoleon Salerno became part of theParthenopean Republic.[8] In the 19th century Salerno supported ideas of theRisorgimento and welcomedGaribaldi in 1861.
The city is divided into three distinct zones: the medieval sector, the 19th century sector and the more densely populated post-war area, with its several apartment blocks.[8] Apatron saint of Salerno isSaint Matthew, theApostle, whoserelics are kept here at thecrypt ofSalerno Cathedral.
The area of what is now Salerno has been continuously settled sincepre-historical times, as the discoveries of Neolithic mummy remains documents.[9] Inhabited byOscan-speaking populations, the region was colonized by theEtruscans, who founded the city ofIrnthi in the 6th century BC, across the Irno river, in what is today city quarter of Fratte, as a part of theirDodecapolis political model they essentially replicated inCampania. This settlement represented an important base for Etruscan trade with the nearby Greek colonies ofPosidonia andElea. It was occupied by theSamnites around the 5th century BC as a consequence of theBattle of Cumae (474 BC) as part of theSyracusansphere of influence.
With theRoman advance in Campania, Irna began to lose its importance, being supplanted by the new Roman colony (197 BC) ofSalernum, developing around an initialcastrum. The new city, which gradually lost its military function in favour of its role as a trade centre, was connected to Rome by theVia Popilia, which ran towardsLucania andReggio Calabria.
Archaeological remains, although fragmentary, suggest the idea of a flourishing and lively city. Under the EmperorDiocletian, in the late 3rd century AD, Salernum became the administrative centre of the "Lucania and Bruttii" province.
In the following century, during theGothic Wars, the Goths were defeated by theByzantines, and the Salerno briefly returned to the control of Constantinople (from 553 to 568), before theLombards invaded almost the whole peninsula. Like many coastal cities of southern Italy (Gaeta,Sorrento,Amalfi), Salerno initially remained untouched by the newcomers, falling only in 646. It subsequently became part of theDuchy of Benevento.
Under the Lombard dukes Salerno enjoyed the most splendid period of its history.
In 774Arechis II of Benevento transferred the seat of the Duchy of Benevento to Salerno, in order to eludeCharlemagne's offensive and to secure for himself the control of a strategic area, the centre of coastal and internal communications in Campania.
With Arechis II, Salerno became a centre of studies with its famousMedical School. The Lombard prince ordered the city to be fortified; the Castle on the Bonadies mountain had already been built with walls and towers. In 839 Salerno declared independence from Benevento, becoming the capital of a flourishing principality stretching out toCapua, northernCalabria andApulia up toTaranto. In 871–872, theAghlabidsbesieged Salerno, but the city was relieved byLouis II of Italy.
Around the year 1000 princeGuaimar IV annexedAmalfi,Sorrento,Gaeta and the whole duchy of Apulia and Calabria, starting to conceive a future unification of the whole southern Italy under Salerno's arms. The coins minted in the city circulated all over the Mediterranean, with theOpulenta Salernum wording to certify its richness.
Salerno capital of the Norman "Ducato di Puglia e Calabria" in 1100
However, the stability of the Principate was continually shaken by theSaracen attacks and, most of all, by internal struggles. In 1056, one of the numerous plots led to the fall of Guaimar. His weaker sonGisulf II succeeded him, but the decline of the principality had begun. In 1077 Salerno reached its zenith but soon lost all its territory to the Normans.
The Schola Medica Salernitana in a miniature fromAvicenna'sCanon
On 13 December 1076, the Norman conquerorRobert Guiscard, who had married Guaimar IV's daughterSikelgaita, besieged Salerno and defeated his brother-in-law Gisulf. In this period the royal palace of Castel Terracena and thecathedral were built, and science was boosted as theSchola Medica Salernitana, open towomen likeTrota of Salerno andMercuriade also, considered the most ancient medical institution of the European West, reached its maximum splendour with text likeTrotula. At this time in the late 11th century, the city was home to 50,000 people.[10]
In 1100, Salerno was made the capital of Norman southern Italy, afterMelfi.
Salerno was the most important city of the Normans for half a century, but with theNorman conquest of southern Italy, the city of Palermo started to substitute Salerno as the most important city for the Normans. Indeed, Salerno played a little part in the fall of theCounty of Sicily, after theEmperor Henry VI's invasion on behalf of his wife,Constance, the heiress to the kingdom, in 1191, Salerno surrendered and promised loyalty on the mere news of an incoming army.
This so disgusted the archbishop,Nicolò d'Aiello (from Naples), that he abandoned the city and fled toNaples, which held out in a siege. In 1194, the situation reversed itself: Naples capitulated, along with most other cities of the Mezzogiorno, and only Salerno resisted. It was sacked and pillaged, much reducing its importance and prosperity.
Henry had his reasons, though. He had entrusted Constance to some important Salerno citizens (advised & "ruled" by the archbishop d'Aiello) and after his retreat from invasion in 1191 they had received letters about the events from Nicolò D'Aiello and so betrayed Henry, attacked Constance at Castel Terracena and handed her over to KingTancred of Sicily, making the Empress captive for nearly one year. The combined treachery and stubbornness of D'Aiello and his followers cost Salerno much after theHohenstaufen conquest: Henry's son,Frederick II, moreover, issued a series of edicts that reduced Salerno's role in favour of Naples (in particular, the foundation of theUniversity of Naples in that city).
From the 14th century onwards, most of the Salerno province became the territory of the Princes ofSanseverino, powerful feudal lords who acted as real owners of the region. They accumulated enormous political and administrative power and attracted artists and men of letters in their own princely palace. In the 15th century, the city was the scene of battles between theAngevin and theAragonese royal houses with whom the local lords took sides alternatingly.
In the first decades of the 16th century, the last descendant of the Sanseverino princes,Ferdinando Sanseverino, was in conflict with the viceroy of the king ofSpain, mainly because of his opposition to theInquisition, causing the ruin of the whole family and the beginning of a long period of decadence for the city.
A slow renewal of the city occurred in the 18th century with the end of the Spanish dominion and the construction of many refined houses and churches characterising the main streets of the historical centre. In 1799 Salerno was incorporated into theParthenopean Republic. During theNapoleonic era, firstJoseph Bonaparte and thenJoachim Murat ascended the Neapolitan throne. The latter decreed the closing of the Schola Medica Salernitana, which had been declining for decades to the level of a theoretical school. In the same period, even the religious orders were suppressed and numerous ecclesiastical properties were confiscated.
The city expanded beyond the ancient walls and sea connections were potentiated as they represented an important road network that crossed the town connecting the eastern plain with the area leading to Vietri andNaples.
Salerno was an active center ofCarbonari activities supporting the unification of Italy in the 19th century.[11] The majority of the population of Salerno supported ideas of theRisorgimento against theBourbon, and in 1861 many of them joinedGaribaldi in his struggle for unification.[12]
After theunification of Italy, a slow urban development continued, many suburban areas were enlarged and large public and private buildings were created. The city went on developing untilWorld War II. Its population rose from 20,000 people around 1861s unification to 80,000 in the early 20th century.
During the 19th century, foreign industries started settling in Salerno: in 1830 the first textile mill was established by the Swiss entrepreneur Züblin Vonwiller, followed by Schlaepfer-Wenner's textile mills and dye factories; the Wenner family settled permanently in Salerno. In 1877 the city was the site of as many as 21 textile mills employing around ten thousand workers; in comparison with the four thousand employed in Turin's textile industry, Salerno was sometimes referred to as the "Manchester of the two Sicilies".
The city is situated at the northwestern end of the plain of theSele River, at the exact beginning of theAmalfi coast. The small river Irno crosses through the central section of Salerno. The highest point is "Monte Stella" with its 953 metres (3,127 ft).[14]
Salerno has aMediterranean climate, with a hot and relatively dry summer (highs of 31 °C (88 °F) in July and August) and a rainy fall and winter (highs of 13 °C (55 °F) in January). Usually there is nearly 1,000 mm (39 in) of rain every year. The strong wind that comes from the mountains toward theGulf of Salerno makes the city very windy (mainly in winter). However, this gives Salerno the advantage of being one of the sunniest towns in Italy.
In 2007, there were 140,580 people residing in Salerno, located in the province of Salerno,Campania, of whom 46.7% were male and 53.3% were female. Minors (children ages 18 and younger) totalled 19.61 per cent of the population compared to pensioners who number 21.86 per cent. This compares with the Italian average of 18.06 per cent (minors) and 19.94 per cent (pensioners). The average age of Salerno residents is 42 compared to the Italian average of 42. In the five years between 2002 and 2007, the population of Salerno grew by 2.02 per cent, while Italy as a whole grew by 3.85 per cent.[16] The current birth rate of Salerno is 7.77 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 9.45 births.
As of 31 December 2010, there were 4,355 foreigners in Salerno. The largest immigrant group came from other European countries (mainly Ukraine and Romania).[17] The population is overwhelminglyRoman Catholic.
The economy of Salerno is mainly based on services and tourism, as most of the city's manufacturing base did not survive the economic crisis of the 1970s. The remaining ones are connected topottery and food production and treatment.[clarification needed]
ThePort of Salerno is one of the most active of theTyrrhenian Sea. It handles about 10 million tons of cargo per year, 60% of which is made up by containers.[18]
Salerno station is the main railway station of the city. It is connected to thehigh-speed railway network via the Milan-Salerno corridor. The main bus stop of Salerno is also at the train station, with both CSTP buses and SITA buses.
A new Maritime Terminal Station, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, was completed in 2016 and was opened for the 2017 cruise season.[20] Salerno features three marinas: Manfredi Pier, Masuccio Salernitano, and Marina di Arechi (opened in 2015).[21] The commercial port of Manfredi is connected with the Amalfi coast and the islands of Gulf ofNaples.[22]
Salerno hosted the oldest medical school in the world, theScuola Medica Salernitana, the most important source of medical knowledge in Europe in the early Middle Ages. It was closed in 1811 byJoachim Murat.
In 1944 kingVittorio Emanuele III established Istituto Universitario di Magistero "Giovanni Cuomo". In 1968 the university became state-controlled.[23] TodayUniversity of Salerno is located in the neighboring town ofFisciano and has about 34,000 students[24] and ten faculties: Arts and Philosophy, Economics, Education, Engineering, Foreign language and literature, Law, Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences, Medicine, Pharmacy and Political Science.[25]
The most successful team in the city is the women'shandball team PDO Handball Team Salerno, with its four national titles, four national cups and two national supercups; other noteworthy teams are Arechi inrugby and Rari Nantes Salerno inwater polo.
The following is a list of notable individuals from Salerno, Italy:
Alfanus I (died 1085): Archbishop of Salerno, translator, theologian, and physician. He was a key figure in medieval literature and science.[34]
Abella of Salerno (14th century): Physician and medical writer associated with the Salerno School of Medicine, recognized for her contributions to bile studies and women’s health.[35]
Mercuriade (14th century): Italian physician, surgeon, and medical author, remembered as one of the few female physicians of the Middle Ages.[36]
Ferdinando Sanseverino, Prince of Salerno (1507–1568): Fourth and last Prince of Salerno, condottiero, and Renaissance patron, famous for his opposition to the Spanish Inquisition.[38]
Giuseppe Giulio Salati (1847–1930): Italian lawyer and historian, author of "L'Antica Gioi," which captures the history of the Commune of Gioi.[39]
Mara Carfagna (born 1975): Italian politician and former showgirl, serving as Minister for Equal Opportunities.[40]
Rocco Hunt (born 1994): Italian rapper and songwriter, acclaimed for his contributions to Italian hip-hop.[41]
Giuliana de Sio (born 1956): Italian actress known for her roles in film and television.[43]
Tiziano Peccia (born 1991):: French-Italian academic, international manager, and expert in development policies, affiliated at IESEG School of Management and Université Paris Cité.[44]
Salerno. Le guide ai sapori e ai piaceri,La Repubblica, Gedi, 2021 (with articles byLucia Annunziata, Massimiliano e Doriana Fuksas,Franck Ribéry,Arturo Di Napoli,Peppe Barra, Andrea Di Maria, Vincenzo Boccia, Daniel Oren, Massimo Ghini, Diego De Silva, Benedetta Buccellato, Matteo Lorito, Corrado De Rosa,Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, Rossella Gregorio, Yari Gugliucci, Dario Socci, Enrico Gallozzi, Vincenzo Dolce, Antonietta Di Martino, e Massimo de Divitiis).[45]ISBN9788883718588
Bonfanti, Giuseppe.Dalla Svolta di Salerno al 18 aprile 1948. Editrice La Scuola. Brescia 1979.
Crisci, Generoso.Salerno sacra:ricerca storica. Edizioni della Curia arcivescovile. Salerno 1962.
D'Episcopo, Francesco.Salerno. Sulla scia di Alfonso Gatto. Masuccio e l'Ottocento salernitano. Editrice Il Sapere. Ancona 2004.
De Renzi, Salvatore.Storia documentata della Scuola Medica di Salerno. Tipografie Gaetano Nobile. Naples, 1857.
Di Martino, Maristella.Le Ricette di Salerno. La cultura gastronomica della città. Editore Il Raggio di Luna. Salerno 2006.
Errico, Ernesto.Cinquant'anni fa a Salerno. Ripostes Editore. Salerno 2004.
Felici, Maria.Palazzi nobiliari a Salerno. Edizioni La Veglia. Salerno 1996.
Giordano, Gaetano.Il Profeta della Grande Salerno. Cento anni di storia meridionale nei ricordi di Alfonso Menna. Avagliano Editore. Salerno 1999.
Iannizzaro, Vincenzo.Salerno. La Cinta Muraria dai Romani agli Spagnoli. Editore Elea Press. Salerno 1999.
Iovino, Giorgia.Riqualificazione urbana e sviluppo locale a Salerno. Attori, strumenti e risorse di una città in trasformazione. Edizioni Scientifiche Italiane. Naples, 2002.
Mazzetti, Massimo.Salerno Capitale d'Italia. Edizioni del Paguro. Salerno 2000.
