Welcome to Salerno
From
Jesse's Journeys in Italy
Population:
144,078
Official site:
Salerno
Wikipedia:
Salerno
Maps:
MapQuest
Webcam:
Salerno
Salerno,
south from Naples on the A3, on the Bay of
Salerno, is a city of just over 144,000
inhabitants. It is the largest
city on the
Amalfi Coast,
and one of the least explored by
English-speaking travelers. That
will change as more and more people
"discover" the many historical,
cultural, social, religious, culinary,
architectural, and recreational delights
the city has to offer.
Salerno's history dates from its
establishment as a Roman town in about
194 BC after the wars with Hannibal the
Great. It is situated on a natural
harbor which has facilitated trade from
ancient times to the present, and which
was used by the allied forces as a
landing place during the Italian
campaign in World War II. Behind
the city is a high rock surmounted by an
ancient castle, the Castle of Arechi,
which commands a view overlooking the
city and the Bay.
Like other cities and towns in southern
Italy, Salerno has been washed over by
succeeding dynasties and empires, all of
which have had an influence on the
evolution of the city, physically and
culturally. After the Romans, the
Samnites, followed by the Saracens and
Lombards, and of course the Byzantines
and Normans.
In 794
AD, a Bynantine Monastery spawned the
oldest university in Europe, which was
the most important medical
school in medieval Europe, the
Schola
Medica Salernitana.
The
school evolved into the modern day
University of Salerno with two campuses
where over 40,000 students study every
year.
Here are some of things that travelers
will want to see in this robust city,
which, though steeped in history,
continues to keep up with the times.
The Giuseppe Verdi
Theatre
Piazza Luciani
Telephone (39) 089 662141 or 089 662142
On the 15th of December 1863, the Local Council
approved the project of building the theatre in
Largo S. Teresa and entrusted the project and
direction of the works to the Architects Antonio
D'Amore and Giuseppe Menichini who based their
calculations on the dimensions and proportions of
the San Carlo Theatre in Naples. In 1869,
the works of embellishing the building began under
the direction of Gaetano d'Agostino, painter of
academy repute and designer of great prestige, who
invited the most illustrious names of the
Parthenopean artistic world to join him. Of
great interest is the sculpture of Giovanni
Battista Amendola which displays Pergolisi dying,
placed at the centre of the peristyle, and
Giocchino Rosssini is raffigured in the middle of
the ceiling. The curtain evokes the history
of the city depicting a glorious scene from the
past. "The Purge of the Saracens from
Salerno" the work of Domenico Morelli. Of
extraordinary beauty, furthermore, are the
medallions depicting the figures of Italian
composers, poets and painters on the parapet of
the boxes. On 27th of March 1901, the
theatre was named after Giuseppe Verdi.
The Church of San Benedetto
Via S. Benedetto
Opening Times: 10:00 AM-12:00Pm 4:00PM-7:00PM
Admissions: Free of Charge
The Church was founded between the 11th and 13th
century and was part of the monastery of the same
name. An imposing aqueduct was connected to
the monastery, the traces of which are still
evident in Via Arce. Inside, the basillican
structure is divided tree naves by two rows of
columns and pillars connected by pointed arches.
After the suppression of the monastery in 1807 the
Church was, strangely enough used as a theatre in
the early 1800's then in 1857 it was consecrated
as a Parish Church and given the name of SS.
Crocefisso, in the memory of Christ, depicted with
his head bowed and Pietro Barliario, sorcerer in
the front of him, at the moment of his repentance.
The recent renovation of the Chuch shows traces of
works done to enlarge the Chruch at different
periods in the past.
The Archeological Museum
Via S. Benedetto
Telephone: 089 231 135
Opening Times: Weekdays, 9:00 AM - 7:30 PM.
Weekends, 9:00 AM - 1:30 PM.
Admission: Free of Charge
This museum contains
a rich archive of documentation relating to the
entire Province of Salerno covering the
pre-historic period up to ancient times with
archaelogical findings classified in chronological
order and according to local traditions. In
a prominent position are the trappings of the
princely tomb of Rossigno which dates back to the
end of the 5th and 6th centuries BC, comprising of
40 objects including a silver and gold Kantharos,
ceramic bells of Samnite and Lucania origin dating
back to the Hellenistic era, Etruscan vases and
bronze ornaments including the impressive head of
Appolo, found in the waters of the Gulf of
Salerno. This is a precious original late
Hellenistic find, dating back to the early part of
the first century BC adn attributed to the Artist
Pasiteles, who was born in the Magna Graecia.
The Castle of Arechi
Via Benedetto Croce
Telephone: 089 227 37
Opening Times: 9:00AM and an hour before sunset (depending)
Admission: Free of Charge
The Castle, whose most ancient architectural
features are attributed to the Byzantine craftsmen
of the 6th Century AD, dominates the city of
Salerno from 300 metters above sea level.
The Lombard Prince Arechi II in the 8th century,
reinforced defences and fortified the castle
giving the structure its present appearance.
Recent archaelogical digs have allowed the
chronological classifying of the different strata
of the living quarters up until the Norman,
Angevin and Aragonese eras. Acquired as pat
of the patrimony of the provincial authorities of
Salerno, the Castle has been renovated and during
the process of renovation, a remarkable quantity
of medieval ceramics and coins were recovered.
The Tower, called "The Bastiglia" was added to
this monument structure and built to the north of
the Castle as a watchtower over the entire Gulf of
Salerno.
The Church of San Giorgio
Via Del Duomo 19
Telephone: 089 228918
Opening Times: 9:30 AM - 12:30PM weekdeays
Closed Weekends
Admission: Free of Charge
San Giorgio is the most beautiful Baroque
church in existence in Salerno and rich in
frescoes of the finest quality. This church,
up to the period of post-unity sppression, was
part of the Convent of the same name which housed
Benedictine nuns, today a Barracks for Finance
Officials and "Carabinieri". In the Chapel
dedicated to the saints Tecla Archelaa and
Susanna, in 1680, Francesco Solimente painted
three murals illustrating these saints being led
to their martyrdom. The vision of Suor Agata and
the saints in meditation constitute the
first great works of the painter.
The Provincial Art Gallery
(Pinacoteca Provinciale)
Via del Mercanti, 63
Telephone: 089 258 3073
Opening Times: 9:00 AM-8:00PM daily
Closed Monday Mornings
Sunday: 9:00AM-1:00PM
Admission: Free of Charge
The Pinacoteca Provinciale recently inaugurated in
its new premises in Palazzo Pinto, boasts a
collection of paintings that dates fromt eh
Renaissance period to the early 1900's. In
the section relating to the Renaissance the
'tavole' of Andrea Sabatini da Salerno and the
Maestro della incoronazione di Eboli, the
paintings of 1600 by Giovanni Battista Caracciolo,
Andrewa De Leoni and Carlo Rosa are of great
interest. The paintings of Francesco
Solimene and his school date back to 1700. A
section is also dedicated to foreign artists whose
works displayed were painted in Salerno.
Forte La Carnale
Via La Carnale
Telephone: 089 224744
Admission: Free of Charge
The Salernitan Medical School
Via dei Mercanti, Largo S. Gregorio
Opening Times: Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00 AM to
12:00 Pm
Admission: Free of Charge
Duomo of San Matteo
Piazza Duomo
Telephone: 089 231384
Opening Times: 9:00AM-6:00PM Daily
During Festivals: 1:00 PM- 6:00PM
Admissions: Free of Charge
The Gardens of Minerva
Via Turquato Tasso
Telephone: 0892586214
Opening Times: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays:
10:00AM-3:00PM; Saturdays 5:00PM-9:00PM
Admission: Free of Charge
The Church of S. Pietro a Corte
Largo San Pietro a Corte
Opening Times: Saturdays and Sundays:
9:30AM-12:30Pm (excluding July and August) July
and August: Saturday and Sunday: 6:30-9:30 PM
Admission: Free of Charge
The Diocesan Museum
Visits Must Be Booked
Telephone: 089 231 387
The Archeological Area of Fratte
Via Fratte
Telephone: 089 481 014
Opening Times: 9AM until one hour before sunset (depending)
Admission: Free of Charge |
