About Salerno

 Salerno is a city with a population of approximately of 200,000 people on a beautiful bay; 40 miles south from Naples, 3 hours by train south from Rome. Connections from the tourist harbor to the towns of Amalfi Coast, Paestum and Capri... are available. Salerno has escaped mass tourism, and it is therefore "authentically Italian" with a beautiful historic centre, where it is possible to admire both the traces of its ancient history and the fervor of artisan shops and places for cultural and musical aggregation attended by thousands of people. Noteworthy is also the long seafront promenade, with magnificent views over the Gulf. A high rock surmounted by an ancient castle, the Castle of Arechi, overlooks the city and the Bay.

Due to Salerno's marvelous year-round climate and beautiful weather, it is possible for the people to enjoy a "typical Italian" outdoor lifestyle.

Salerno's history dates from its establishment as a Roman town in about 194 BC. It is located on a natural harbor which facilitated trade from ancient times to the present.

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 Byzantine Monastery spawned the oldest university in Europe, which was the most important medical school in medieval Europe, the Schola Medica Salernitana. This school evolved into the University of Salerno with two campuses where over 40,000 students study every year.

During the second world war, Salerno was chosen by western allied forces as a landing site for the Italian campaign. Salerno, for about five months, played the role of capital in the forming of a new Italian State.

Link: Salerno

Besides the famous and beautiful towns on the Amalfi Coast, other wonderful locations like Paestum, Caserta and Pompei are all easily accessible from Salerno.

  The Amalfi Coast runs between Salerno and Sorrento. It is in the middle of an appealing tourist area: Amalfi, Ravello, Positano, Paestum , Caserta and Pompei are all nearby.

Link: Amalfi

 Paestum was founded around the beginning of the 7th century BC by Greek colonists under the name of Poseidonia. The main features of the site today are the standing remains of three major temples in Doric style, dedicated to Hera, Apollo and Athena, dating from the first half of the 6th century BC.

Link: Paestum

 Caserta is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site for the Royal Palace created by the Neapolitan architect Luigi Vanvitelli. The monumental Park is three kilometers in length and covers an area of some hundred hectares.

Link: Caserta

 Pompei is a ruined Roman city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania , in the territory of the commune of Pompei . It was destroyed during a catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. The volcano buried the city under many feet of ash and it was lost for 1,600 years before its accidental rediscovery. Since then, its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire. Today, it is one of Italy's leading tourist attractions and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Link: Pompei