Salerno and Cilento

Arconte Cove

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Salerno is a fascinating synthesis of what theMediterranean can offer to those who want to knowit better. The city is continuously improving to betterhost tourists and visitors from all over the world. Itsprovince is the largest of the Campania. Togetherwith the Amalfi Coast, the archaeological areas ofPaestum and the uncontaminated Cilento, it alsoincludes the high plains crossed by the Sele River,its tributaries and the Vallo di Diano.

Ente Provinciale per ilTurismo di Salerno via Velia 15tel. 089 230411www.eptsalerno.itinformazioni e acc. turisticapiazza Vittorio Veneto,1tel. 089 231432

Azienda Autonoma di CuraSoggiorno e Turismo diSalerno Lungomare Trieste 7/9tel. 089 224916www.aziendaturismo.sa.it

Azienda Autonoma di Cura Soggiorno eTurismo di Cava de’ TirreniCorso Umberto I 208tel. 089 341605www.cavaturismo.sa.it

Azienda Autonoma di Cura Soggiorno eTurismo di Paestumvia Magna Grecia 887tel. 0828 811016www.infopaestum.it

Ente Parco del Cilento e del Vallo di Dianopiazza Santa Caterina, 8Vallo della Lucaniatel. 0974 719911www.cilentoediano.it

Comunità Montana MontiPicentinivia Santa Maria a VicoGiffoni Valle Pianatel. 089 866160

Cava de’ TirreniComplesso dell’Abbazia della SS Trinità - via Morcaldi 6tel. 089 463922

PaestumParco ArcheologicoMuseo Arch. Nazionalevia Magna Grecia 919tel. 0828 811023

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the School of Medicineof Salerno

The School of Medicineboasts ancient origins, withits roots possibly datingback to the 6th century, to

the School of Medicine thenfunctioning at Velia. In the13th century it obtained theright to be the only Schoolof Medicine of the realmfrom Emperor Frederick II:this signed a period ofgreatest scientific discovery.The 14th century saw thebeginning of its decline,when the important

universities of Bologna andPadova were founded. The School continued tofunction until 1812, when itwas finally closed byJoachim Murat.

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not to be missedHistorical centre of SalernoPaestum Punta Licosa Palinuro Marina di CamerotaCertosa of Padula

salerno and cilento in 1 daySalernoPaestum

salerno and cilento in 3 daysSalernoPaestum Punta Licosa Velia excavationsPalinuro and Marina di Camerota

Grottoes of Castelcivita and of Pertosa/AulettaCertosa of PadulaTeggiano

art and archaeology Cathedral of SalernoPaestum Sanctuary of Hera ArgivaVelia Certosa of Padula

nature and parksCilento and Vallo di DianoNational ParksOasis of DiecimareOasis of PersanoFoce Sele e Tanagro NatureReserveGrotto of Castelcivita and of Pertosa/Auletta

for young peopleSalerno waterfrontAgropoliMarina di CamerotaPalinuro

Grotta degli Infreschi

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shoppingChestnut woven basketsCopper and wrought ironobjectsWine and typical products

outings with childrenArechi’s CastleThe Living Museum of HeraArgivaNational Parks of Cilento and Vallo di Diano

Night strolls among the templesof PaestumBeaches between Palinuroand Marina di Camerota

specialitiesSan Marzano tomatoesBuffalo Mozzarella DopMenaica anchoviesPaestum artichokesControne beansCilento dried figsCastel San Lorenzo wine DocCilento wine Doc

spas and fitnessContursi Thermal BathsMontesano sulla Marcellana

From above, in the bright frame of sea and sky,Salerno seems as though it is hanging to the sidesof the mountain, in a spectacular position on thegulf. The city became the most flourishing ofsouthern Italy with its conquest by the Longobardsin the 8th century, especially under Duke Arechi II.Seat of the principality, Salerno entered a period ofsplendour, also becoming an important scientificcentre with its much celebrated School of Medicineof Salerno, the oldest such institution in the west.After the Longobards followed the Normans, andthen the Hohenstaufen emperors, all of whomfavoured the growth of the city, a growth that onlyended in the 16th century when the Spaniards tookover control. It was in Salerno that the Allied forces disembarkedin 1943. Today the city is in full rebirth, theatre of atransformation into ‘city-laboratory’, a model ofurban revival of international importance.

The heart of the city is the medieval quarter, whose mainartery is via dei Mercanti (Merchants’ street). The narrowcity streets, today rich with shops, follow the form of themedieval urban plan and conserve beautiful historicalbuildings and much of its religious architecture. The Duomo (11th century) is dedicated to San Matteo andis the most important monument of the city, a masterpieceof Norman architecture. The vast porticoed atrium has,above its ancient columns, an elegant loggia decorated withinlaid wood. The atrium is dominated by an imposingromanesque belltower. On the inside two magnificentambos are richly decorated with mosaics from the 7th and8th centuries, and there are numerous 1500’s and 1600’spaintings. The Baroque crypt from the 1600’s is covered in polychromatic marble. There are numerous funeralmonuments, the most important of which is that of QueenMargherita of Durazzo. The Duomo Museum is next to thecathedral, and offers a panorama of Salernitan art over thecenturies.

The nearby Provincial Archaeological Museum is not tobe missed, housed in the complex of Saint Benedict, it is one of the most interesting topographical museums of Campania.The hub of economic life of the city is to be found in the1800’s quarter of the city near to the Lungomare Trieste,one of the longest waterfront in Italy, lined by palm trees,and from which you can enjoy a lovely view of the gulf.The Verdi Theatre was inaugurated in 1872. Its hallsoverflow with Renaissance-inspired décor and followmodels of ancient classic inspiration. It is the culturalcentre of the city. The Villa Comunale (City Park) is anoasis of green, a lovely public garden. Looking up towardsthe hills you can see the imposing Arechi’s Castle, fromwhich there is an enchanting panorama.

Salerno

the Abbey of the HolyTrinity at Cava de’ Tirreni

A few kilometers from thedynamic city of Cava de’Tirreni, whose centre ischaracterised by

picturesque porticos thathave inspired it to be nick-named the “Bologna of thesouth”, the Abbey of theHoly Trinity (11th century)sits in a panoramic positionsurrounded by a circle ofmountains. It is one of themost important monasticfoundations of the South.The elegant Baroque church

and its monastery houseimportant works of medievalart. Next to the complex isalso the Museum of theAbbey, which containsrelics from the monastery.

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famous travellers

How wonderful to look upon, like Ulysses, on a clear day the Gulf of Salernotowards south-east, with as backdrop the high hazy coast and the crystallinemountains. One abandons the gods of today to discover a new self.David H. Lawrence, 1920

Salerno

111The Abbey of the Holy Trinityat Cava de’ Tirreni

Close to Salerno is Pontecagnano, the first bathingarea of the Salerno coast. The interesting NationalMuseum of Agro Picentino is to be found here, fullof relics relative to the history of the area from theIron Age to the 6th century BC. Further south is thevast plain created by the Sele river. The area aroundthe mouth of the river (Paestum and Battipaglia inparticular) is famous for the production of one of themost loved of all of Campania’s products: the buffalomozzarella Dop. Alongside the quiet roads, here andthere, one can spot the buffalo at pasture. One of themost important sanctuaries of ancient times wasfound here, the Heraion del Sele, a vast complexdedicated to the great Greek goddess Hera. Thesanctuary dates back to the 7th century BC and wasmade of many rooms, the remains of which can stillbe seen today. The Oasis of Persano is near, once a Bourbonhunting grounds, today a well preserved naturalenvironment. The Sele has created some unique andprecious environments here, dominated by a densewood. The symbol of the oasis is the otter, and thisis one of its main habitats in Italy.

The Natural Reserve of Sele-Tanagro offers somemagnificent scenery and is of great interest from anaturalistic point of view. In this area of rich greenvegetation are the springs of the Contursi ThermalBaths, noted for its water and for the white mud thatis used in beauty and dermatological treatments.There are numerous treatment establishments. The Santa Maria degli Angeli (9th century) and del Carmine churches are of interest, as are thearchaeological sites: a Roman villa and a neolithicgrave near the Tanagro river.

The Sele Plains

the CaciocavalloPodolico

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The Sele Plains

This cheese is exclusivelymade from milk ofPodolian cattle, bred inthe wild around the Sele,

in the Cilento area andfew other places inCampania. This peculiaritygives it the characteristicflavour which changesaccording to the pastures.That cheese smells of milkand hay, but his flavour isslightly grainy and spicy.Served in slices or flakes,it is excellent

accompaniment to redwine, roasted chestnutsand porcini mushrooms.

the Regional NaturalPark of the PicentiniMountains

The park stretches over80,000 hectares betweenthe provinces of Avellinoand Salerno.

Amid high mountain topscovered in thick andsometimes impenetrablebeech-wood stands, greenvalleys and steep gorges,cut by rivers and waterfalls,are hidden: corners ofuncontaminated nature,home to rare bird species.Here the rivers Calore, Sele,Sarno and Ofanto rise.

There are two WWF protectedoases, sites also cared forthe EC, on the inside of thePark: Monte Polveracchioand Valle della Caccia andthe Oasis of MonteAccellica.

Giffoni Film Festival

During the last years, theGiffoni Film Festival, hostedat the foot of Picentinimountains, has become the

main international eventdedicated to children'sfilms.

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At the edge of the Sele plains, where Cilento begins,is Paestum. It is one of the most precious of thearchaeological gems of Italy, known the world over,especially for its spectacular doric temples.Legend attributes them to the Argonauts of Greekmythology, but it was the inhabitants of Sibari thatfounded Paestum in the 6th century BC. The city,first called Poseidonia, soon became one of themost flourishing of the Mediterranean. Its demisecoincided with the fall of the Roman Empire. Thebuildings were stripped for the construction ofchurches and palaces, and the ruins forgotten untilthe 18th century, when travellers began to return here.

The three doric temples from the 5th century BC, among thebest preserved of all of antiquity, are the marvels of thisArchaeological Park, as they stand majestically on theplains in front of the sea: the Temple of Neptune, theBasilica and the Temple of Cerere. The first two are tiedto the cult of Hera (Greek goddess of marriage and wife ofZeus). The 5 km long walls constitute one of the bestpreserved fortified structures in all of Magna Grecia. Insummer the ‘Night trails’ amid the temples of Paestumpermit the visitor to enjoy the archaeological area bymoonlight, a magical experience.In the area of the Roman city, apart from the Capitolium,there are other significant remains: the Forum, theAmphitheatre, and the remains of various religiousstructures. To the west of the temples is via Sacra, the streetof the processions, the foundations of which are Greek.Not far from the excavations is the ArchaeologicalMuseum of Paestum, home to some of the mostimportant works in Southern Italy. The most important arethe frescoes from the 5th century BC Tomb of the Diver. It is a “painted box tomb”, made up of four lateral slabsdecorated with banquet scenes. The cover depicts a divingboy: the scene probably symbolises the passage from lifeto the world of the dead. The sculptured metopes areimportant decorative elements of the temples, as are thefrescoes of the 4th century lucanian tombs, with the typical“Return of the warrior” scenes.

The Aeneolithic relics of the Gaudo necropolis arepreserved here, as well as archaic, (the terracotta Zeusstatue), classic and hellenistic (the bronze statue of SilenoMarsia) era items. In the museum the full room tomb of aman and a woman from Agropoli has been reconstructed.With the buried couple there is also a famous vase onwhich the myth of Bellerophon is painted, signed byAssteas. The relics of the nearby sanctuary of Hera Argiva,the Heraion of Sele, are also kept here.

The ruins of Capaccio Vecchio dominate the plainof Paestum. The town, flourishing in the Normanera, was destroyed in 1248 by Frederick II because ithosted conspirators. Apart from the ruins of thecastle, the sanctuary of the Madonna del Granato,built in the 12th century and reconstructed in the1700’s, destination of intense pilgrimage even today,is well worth a visit.

Paestum

buffalo mozzarella

The exquisite buffalomozzarella is made only inCampania, and followingunchanged centuries-old

traditions. Apart from theCaserta province, the SelePlains are the only otherplace for this characteristicproduct.There are many dairy farmsin the area of the mouth of the Sele river: in some itis possible to watch themmake it and then enjoy thefresh results.

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The Temples of Paestum

The Tomb of the Diver.ArchaeologicalMuseum of Paestum

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A scenery of strong contrasts, of incomparabilebeauty. Cilento enchants with its vertiginouos cliffsthat drop into the crystalline sea, its spotlessbeaches, its small medieval villages that cling to thehills and its luminous scenery of pristine nature.One of the most beautiful coasts of Italy: onehundred miles of beach, cliffs formed by the sun andthe wind, secret coves and mysterious grottoes. Thecilentan coast begins at Paestum and ends at Sapri,offering an enormous range of seaside activities:from large, wide and safe beaches on a clear sea, toa more sportive choice of grotto and coveexploration and the diving deep into theuncontaminated bottoms of the sea. All of thisamidst hills and mountains with sheer cliffs to thesea, where enchanted villages are nestled.We are far from the madding crowds, we are wherethe world is still like it once was, a universe withrhythms that still follow the seasons.The Cilento area is also famous for its tastytraditional cuisine, based on typical products usedin recipes passed on from mother to daughter. Thereis such a variety of local dishes that it will be apleasure to compare them from town to town and inthe many agritourisms and bed and breakfasts activein the area.

With Agropoli one enters into the heart of a Cilentomade of fishermen and fishing villages. Dominatedby the castle, built in Byzantine times, Agropoli hasa lovely medieval village that towers over the wildcoast below.Medieval traces are also found in Castellabate. The village, intact and full of wonder, presents itselflike a bundle of intertwining alleys, arches and steepstairs, framed by a vegetation rich with colour andaroma.

From above you can admire the characteristic redtiled rooftops of Santa Maria di Castellabate, abathing and fishing village blessed with lovelybeaches and situated between Punta Tresino andPunta Licosa.The pine forest of Punta Licosa is splendid anduncontaminated. Here the coves, hidden and private,are tiny paradises like gems on the crown of one ofthe clearest seas of Italy. These waters have beendeclared an Underwater Marine Park, and are a trueparadise for passionate deep sea divers.The coast road itself is a source of spellbindingviews and evocative nature: from Montecorice, withthe splendid precipices of the Ripe Rosse over thesea, you reach Acciaroli, with its lovely old villageand marvellous beach. It is said that a localfisherman was the inspiration for Hemingway’s novelThe Old Man and the Sea. Clambering up a twistingroad one arrives at Pollica, a fresh oasis of silence,where time seems to have stood still. The view fromhere is stunning.

Apart from Paestum, Cilento has anotherarchaeological gem: the ruins of the ancient Greekcity of Velia, whose fame is tied to the greatphilosophers Parmenides and Zeno, and to thecelebrated School of Medicine, later inherited bySalerno. Elea, the ancient name of Velia, wasfounded in the 6th century BC by the Greeks fromFocea, attracted to the beauty of the place, and soonbecame one of the most important maritime centresof the southern Tyrrhenian area. The archaeologicalarea extends to a promontory that was once bathedby the sea, then buried, and to the most importantmonument, the ‘Porta Rosa’, a magnificent structurethat opens in the circumference of the ancient walls.

Cilento

the towers of Cilento

Beginning in the 9th centuryAD saracene pirates begantheir incursions onto theTyrrhenian coast. Defense

towers were built to spotand fight off the invaders,and to this day dot the coastof Cilento.These fortifications were inuse until the 1700’s, whenthe pirate menace finallyceased.

the olive tree of Cilento

The splendid olive tree, withits silvery green leaves, is aconstant in Cilento scenery.Many hills are completely

covered by these trees. Theoil they produce is one ofthe best of Italy, and hasearned the denominationalmarking of Olio d’OlivaExtravergine Cilento Dop.

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famous travellers

Those hills form the last slopes of the Cilento mountains,all covered in olive groves, fig trees and vines.Cosimo De Giorgi, 1882

Marina of Camerota

117Islet of Licosa

You can admire the ruins of houses spread on theterraces and built with polygonal blocks ofsandstone. On the promontory there were public andsacred buildings: there remain the relics of an Ionictemple and theatre of the 3rd century BC, of arectangular building, and a paved road: on thesouthern slopes was the market (Agora) in the 4th-3rd century BC. You can visit the remains ofRoman burial places and a thermal bathsestablishment, of the port, the sacred well and,higher up, the amphitheatre, the paleo-christianchurch, the Angevin Tower; beyond the Porta Rosais the sanctuary of Poseidon Asphaleios.

Leaving behind the glorious deeds of the Romansand Greeks, the coast continues dotted with longsandy beaches, bunches of houses and ancientvillages: Ascea, medieval in origin, with itscharming marina and Pisciotta, characterised by thehouses wedged in green.

Continuing along the coast it is a constantpanoramic delight of magic beauty, up to thelegendary promontory of Palinuro. It is said that itowes its name to Aeneas’ unfortunate helmsmanwho, as Virgil recounts in the Aeneid, fell into thewater here and perished.Palinuro is an internationally renown bathing resort;well visited, it offers beautiful beaches, great hotelsand sports centres, campsites and vacation villages.The secret of Palinuro lies in the marine grottoes tobe discovered on boat trips: the Blue Grotto, whosewaters assume the transparency of sapphires, theSilver and the Blood grottoes. Yellow and green arethe dominant colours of the Fetente (stinking) cove,so named for the sulphuric spring that releases anunpleasant odor. The Baia del Buondormire (of the‘good sleep’) with its crystalline waters is one of themost romantic beaches of the coast. The NaturalArch (Arco Naturale) is a moulded masterpiece ofnature, with its long beach and nearby mouth of theriver Mingardo. Imposing cliffs, coves you can get to only in a boat,and ecceptional grottoes are also to be found atMarina di Camerota, famous destination forsummer tourism.We recommend a boat trip to Punta degli Infreschi,with its evocative coves and clear water, and a trip,on land, to Camerota, on hills covered in olivegroves.

The coast continues to Policastro and Sapri, passingthrough gracious bathing resorts like Scario. In thecentre of the gulf to which it gives its name,Policastro Bussentino preserves interestingremains of a castle and of medieval walls. A fascinating excursion is that to the Grotto ofBussentino, an imposing fenomenon created by theriver, and one of the most interesting of the Campania.On the southern extreme of the Campania, Sapri isone of Cilento’s most important towns, with a lovelypanoramic waterfront. The coast is full of amplesandy beaches, and inland there are wood coveredhills in the area of Torre Orsaia.

Even though you are seduced by one of the mostbeautiful seas of Italy, the ‘other’ Cilento is not to beunderestimated. The one of the inland, full ofsurprises. Nature is still uncontaminated here, likethat of the coast, and is protected by the Cilento e Vallo di Diano National Park. There areinnumerable trails that take you into this parkblessed with hills, rivers, woods and paths that cutdeep into the wild. Vallo della Lucania, the most important town ofCilento from a commercial and administrative pointof view, is at the centre of the main roads andrailways, and the starting point of hikes into the park.Trekkers can take long hikes in the AlburniMountains (also known as the Dolomites of theSouth for the clear colour of its limestone walls), onMount Cervati (the highest summit of the Campaniawith 1,900 mt), or on Mount Gelbison (also knownas Sacred Mountain, popular for the presence of thesanctuary of Madonna di Nova Velia on its summit).The surrounding landscape leaves its visitorsfascinated: the karst phenomenon has permittedlong gorges to be carved into the rock (the karstswallow holes) and mysterious grottoes, not tomention the small “mirrors of water” to be foundhere and there.A stop at the evocative and famous Grottoes of Castelcivita is a must, with its undergroundsystem of caverns.Inland Cilento is characterised by small villages,among which the evocative Roscigno Vecchia, a village abandoned due to the many landslides.

famous travellers

In that moment, as we pass by Pisciotta, there appearsin front of us, stabbed into the sea, Palinuro, like anenormous shark, covered in gold.Eugenio Montale, 1932

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famous travellers

…I took courage, and, taking him by the handI asked – where are you going, handsomecaptain? – Looking at me he responded: -Oh sister, I am going to die for my beautifulcountry-Luigi Mercantini, 1857

“they were threehundred, they wereyoung and strong…”

In 1857, a group of aboutthirty youths led by CarloPisacane landed on thecoast at Sapri, to begin an

anti-Bourbon insurrection.The patriots, however, wereall killed by the troops. The famous poem by LuigiMercantini, “The Gleaner of Sapri” was dedicated tothese heroes, and everyyear in August, at Saprithere is a costumedreenactment of the tragicevent.

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Capo Palinuro

Nature and art are the stars of the Vallo di Diano(which is part of the Cilento e Vallo di DianoNational Park), with the marvellous grottoes ofPertosa/Auletta, the village of Teggiano and themagnificent Certosa (monastery) of Padula.The grottoes of the Angel at Pertosa/Auletta areset in an evocative natural amphitheatre in the greenof the Alburni mountains. They twist and turn forabout 2,500 meters through galleries, tunnels andimmense caverns; a truly enchanting place full ofstalactites, stalagmites and huge underground halls.To add to its charm, this is the only cave in Italywhere, to gain access, one has to row across a smalllake originating from the underground river. Teggiano has one of the area’s most interestinghistorical centre, and is the ancient capital of theVallo. It was formerly known as Dianum. Located ontop of a round hill, it dominates the plains that, inRoman times, were dangerous swamps. Fineexamples of Romanesque architecture are preserved,such as the Cathedral and the church ofSant’Andrea, often built on top of existing Romanfoundations. The village, with its narrow twistingstreets, is nestled around the Castle which wasfounded in 1285 and rebuilt in the 19th century.

The town of Padula has the most importantmonastic monument of Southern Italy, the Certosaof San Lorenzo. The majesty of the building, a true“convent-city”, and the exhuberance of the décor,make this an obligatory visit. The grandiose enormity of the complex is amazing.

Founded in 1306, the monastery followed the order’s ruleswhich dictated that the monks’ cells, gathered around thecloister, be separated from the common areas which werelocated near to the church. The church of San Lorenzois separated by a wall into two parts. In the first, near theentrance, sat the lay brothers, and near the presbytery, thecloistered monks. There are also two choirs.The old kitchen is also interesting, with its hugedominating “cooker-hood” in the centre, and connectingtunnels to the wine cellar and oil press. The Abbot’sApartment is the real gem of this convent, made up of tenrooms that open onto a splendid garden. The library has alovely majolica pavement, and the ample Cloister ontowhich the monks’ cells open, is also impressive. With asurface of almost 15,000 sq mt it is one of the largest inEurope: the two storeys on which the convent is built areconnected by a grandiose double helix stairway.

Vallo di Diano

the wine trail flavours and history of Cilento

The trail runs all along thecoast from Salerno toMarina di Camerota, withsome small detours. It is an

excellent way to get to knowthe typical products of thearea in the historical centresand among the naturalbeauty of the area. Winecellars, typical restaurants,characteristic handicrafts,are all to be found in acontext of picturesquevillages rich with historyand vineyards facing the

sea. Honest and simplehospitality can be found in any one of the manyagritourisms.

Cilento cuisine

The cuisine of Cilento is atrue example of the farmculture: the dishes reflect theprime ingredients used, and

the methods and traditionsthat have accompanied thesepeople throughout their longhistory. The recipes, passedon by word of mouth fromgeneration to generation, are based on the typicalproducts of the area: fromfish to exquisitely freshvegetables, from beef tohand-made pasta.

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Cloister of the Certosadi Padula

Kitchen of the Certosadi Padula

121Grottoes of the AngelPertosa/Auletta