Nola

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Nola
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Location of Nola
Nola
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Nola
Location of Nola in Italy
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Nola
Nola (Campania)
Coordinates: 40°55′34″N14°31′39″E / 40.92611°N 14.52750°E / 40.92611; 14.52750
Country Italy
Region Campania
Metropolitan city Naples (NA)
Area
[1]
  Total39.19 km2 (15.13 sq mi)
Population
 (2018-01-01) [2]
  Total34,467
  Density880/km2 (2,300/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Patron saint St. Felix Martyr
Saint dayNovember 15
Website Official website

Nola is a town and a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, southern Italy. It lies on the plain between Mount Vesuvius and the Apennines. It is traditionally credited as the diocese that introduced bells to Christian worship.

Contents

History

Prehistory

Excavations at Nola-Croce del Papa have uncovered extensive evidence of a small village quickly abandoned at the time of the Avellino Eruption in the 17th century BC. This powerful eruption from Mount Vesuvius caused the inhabitants to leave behind a wide range of pottery and other artefacts. The foundations of their buildings are also preserved in imprints among the mud left by the eruption.[ citation needed ]

Antiquity

Samnite soldiers from a tomb in Nola 4th century BC Samnite soldiers from a tomb frieze in Nola 4th century BCE.jpg
Samnite soldiers from a tomb in Nola 4th century BC
Greek vase showing Theseus & Prokroustes, from Nola 470-460 BC (Staatliche Antikensammlung, Munich) Theseus Prokroustes Staatliche Antikensammlungen 2325.jpg
Greek vase showing Theseus & Prokroustes, from Nola 470–460 BC (Staatliche Antikensammlung, Munich)
A 2nd-century bronze parade mask from a Roman tomb at Nola (British Museum) Bronze parade helmet with the face of Amazon from Nola 100-200 AD (51233372856).jpg
A 2nd-century bronze parade mask from a Roman tomb at Nola (British Museum)

Nola was one of the oldest cities of Campania, with its most ancient coins bearing the name Nuvlana. It was later said to have been founded by the Ausones, who were certainly occupying the city by c.560 BC. It once vied in luxury with Capua.[ citation needed ]

During the Roman invasion of Campania in the Samnite War in 328 BC, Nola was probably occupied by the Oscans in alliance with the Samnites. Nola sent 2000 troops to defend Naples against the Romans (Paleopolis/Neapolis) in 327 BC. The Romans took Nola in 313 BC after setting fire to buildings near the city walls. [4]

Under Roman rule during Hannibal's invasion of Italy amid the Second Punic War, the city was the site of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battles of Nola. On two occasions (215 and 214 BC), it was defended by Marcellus.

In 90 BC it fell by treason to the Samnites during the Social War. In 89 BC, Sulla routed the rebel army near Pompeii, chased them to Nola and there massacred 20,000 rebels at the Battle of Nola in front of the walls. [5]

It was stormed in 73-72 BC by Spartacus during his failed slave revolt.

The 1st c. BC saw a number of public buildings constructed including the amphitheatre. The emperor Augustus died nearby at his sumptuous villa [6] at Somma Vesuviana on 19 August AD 14, in allegedly the same room his father died in 72 years earlier.

Augustus and Vespasian settled colonies in the area. In the Roman road network, Nola lay between Capua and Lower Nocera on the Via Popilia. A branch road ran from it to Abella and Avellino. [8] Nola was connected to the plentiful water supply of the Serino aqueduct after 20 BC.

Though a relative backwater, Nola retained its status as a municipium , its own institutions, and the use of the Oscan language. It was divided into pagi , the names of some of which are preserved: Pagus Agrifanus, Capriculanus, Lanitanus. The discoveries of the pavement of the ancient city have not been noted with sufficient care to recover most of the plan, but a large number of Grecian vases were made at Nola, using its fine yellow clay and a shining black glaze. They are decorated with red figures.

Following the rise of Christianity, it became a bishopric. One bishop, the Christian senator Paulinus, is traditionally credited with the introduction of the use of bells to Christian worship. [9] His small handbells were subsequently known as nolas for his seat and the larger tower bells as campanas from the surrounding area. [9] Revered as a saint, Paulinus's relics turned the town into a site of Christian pilgrimage.

Middle Ages

Nola was sacked by Alaric in 410 and by the Vandals under Gaiseric in 453. It was liberated from Muslim invaders by Muslims in 904 and captured by Manfred of Sicily in the 13th century. Under Charles of Anjou, it was held by Guy de Montfort as the County of Nola. It was inherited by his eldest daughter's Orsini husband and then held by members of their family.

Modern age

The 1460 Battle of Nola is noteworthy for the clever stratagem by which John, duke of Calabria, defeated Ferdinand, king of Naples, who fled the field with only 20 followers. Ferdinand, however, was supported by Pope Pius II, the duke of Milan, and the Albanian lord Skanderbeg. With his wife Isabella successfully wooing John's major supporters away, the king recovered his domain over the next decade. Nola itself subsequently lost its importance after its repeated destruction by earthquakes in the 15th and 16th centuries. The nearby Cicala Castle was the birthplace of Giordano Bruno (b. 1548).

In 1820, General Pepe's revolution began in Nola. The sculptor Giovanni Merliano was a native of the city; and some of his works are preserved in the cathedral.

Nola is a suburb of Naples. In the 1990s to the 2000s, a waste management crisis broke out in the city as a result of illegal dumping by the Camorra. Most of the waste was dumped between Nola, Acerra, and Marigliano, referred to as the "Triangle of Death". A 2004 study by Alfredo Mazza published in The Lancet Oncology revealed that deaths by cancer in the area are much higher than the European average. [10]

Sights

Nola amphitheatre Nola amphitheatre.png
Nola amphitheatre

Other Roman ruins, including a temple to Augustus, survived as long as the 16th century, they were then plundered for building material and few signs remain. A few tombs are preserved, and results from excavations are displayed at the Archaeological Museum. Other sites include:

Roman amphitheatre

The passion for gladiatorial combat was at its strongest in Campania among the locals and also the army veterans. So a permanent building for these was erected, as elsewhere, in the 1st c. BC, holding 20,000 spectators. The site was just inside the northern walls where existing buildings were demolished and one side of the arena took advantage of the wall embankment. The podium was faced with sheets of white marble elaborately carved with scenes and finished at the top with a balustrade with the same stone.

It was partially rebuilt and renovated over the centuries, maybe after earthquakes. By the end of the 5th century it was abandoned and used as a quarry. The eruption of Vesuvius in the early 6th century and the subsequent flood partially buried the building and saved some of it for posterity, including marble in the process of being carried away.

Notable people

Culture

Two fairs are held in Nola: one on 14 June and another on 12 November. The Festival of the Lilies (Festa dei Gigli) is held on 22 June or the Sunday beforehand, honouring St Paulinus. It lasts seven days, until the next Sunday. Eight lilies and a boat are made of wood and covered with papier-mache from the city's art shops. On the last day of the festival, the huge lilies are carried through the town on residents' shoulders along a route that has been followed for more than a thousand years. Each represents one of the local guilds or corporations, coming in the following order:

Each of the organizations is responsible for one day of the festivities. The 2010 festival—along with its fellows—was nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Twin towns – sister cities

Nola is twinned with:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paulinus of Nola</span> Christian bishop and saint

Paulinus of Nola born Pontius Meropius Anicius Paulinus, was a Roman poet, writer, and senator who attained the ranks of suffect consul and governor of Campania but – following the assassination of the emperor Gratian and under the influence of his Hispanic wife Therasia of Nola — abandoned his career, was baptized as a Christian, and probably after Therasia's death became bishop of Nola in Campania. While there, he wrote poems in honor of his predecessor Saint Felix and corresponded with other Christian leaders throughout the empire. He is credited with the introduction of bells to Christian worship and helped resolve the disputed election of Pope Boniface I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campania</span> Region in Italy

Campania is an administrative region of Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian peninsula, but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islands and the island of Capri. The capital of the Campania region is Naples. As of 2018, the region had a population of around 5,820,000 people, making it Italy's third most populous region, and, with an area of 13,590 km2 (5,247 sq mi), its most densely populated region. Based on its GDP, Campania is also the most economically productive region in southern Italy and the 7th most productive in the whole country. Naples' urban area, which is in Campania, is the eighth most populous in the European Union. The region is home to 10 of the 58 UNESCO sites in Italy, including Pompeii and Herculaneum, the Royal Palace of Caserta, the Amalfi Coast and the Historic Centre of Naples. In addition, Campania's Mount Vesuvius is part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capua</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Capua is a city and comune in the province of Caserta, in the region of Campania, southern Italy, situated 25 km (16 mi) north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samnium</span> Historical region of southern Italy; part of the Roman Republic/Empire

Samnium is a Latin exonym for a region of Southern Italy anciently inhabited by the Samnites. Their own endonyms were Safinim for the country and Safineis for the people. The language of these endonyms and of the population was the Oscan language. However, not all the Samnites spoke Oscan, and not all the Oscan-speakers lived in Samnium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucania</span> Historical region of Southern Italy

Lucania was a historical region of Southern Italy. It was the land of the Lucani, an Oscan people. It extended from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Gulf of Taranto. It bordered with Samnium and Campania in the north, Apulia in the east, and Bruttium in the south-west, and was at the tip of the peninsula which is now called Calabria. It comprised almost all the modern region of Basilicata, the southern part of the Province of Salerno and a northern portion of the Province of Cosenza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avellino</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Avellino is a town and comune, capital of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is situated in a plain surrounded by mountains 47 kilometres (29 mi) east of Naples and is an important hub on the road from Salerno to Benevento.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acerra</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Acerra is a town and comune of Campania, southern Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Naples, about 15 kilometres northeast of the capital in Naples. It is part of the Agro Acerrano plain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torre Annunziata</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Torre Annunziata is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania. It is located on the Gulf of Naples, at the foot of Mount Vesuvius.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avella</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Avella is a town and comune in the province of Avellino, Campania, southern Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarno</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Sarno is a town and comune and former Latin Catholic bishopric of Campania, Italy, in the province of Salerno, 20 km northeast from the city of Salerno and 60 km east of Naples by the main railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Naples</span> Aspect of history

The history of Naples is long and varied, dating to Greek settlements established in the Naples area in the 2nd millennium BC. During the end of the Greek Dark Ages a larger mainland colony – initially known as Parthenope – developed on the Pizzofalcone hill in the 8th century BC, and was refounded as Neapolis in the 6th century BC: it held an important role in Magna Graecia. The Greek culture of Naples was important to later Roman society. When the city became part of the Roman Republic in the central province of the Empire, it was a major cultural centre.

Suessula was an ancient city of Campania, southern Italy, situated in the interior of the peninsula, near the frontier with Samnium, between Capua and Nola, and about 7 km northeast of Acerrae, Suessula is now a vanished city and the archeological site belongs to the city of Acerra, and not to San Felice a Cancello as reported in some sources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calatia</span>

Cālātia was an ancient town of Campania, southern Italy, c. 10 km southeast of Capua, on the Via Appia, near the point where the Via Popillia branches off from it. It is represented by a locality known as Villa Galazia and by the church of San Giacomo alle Galazze, within the modern town of Maddaloni, very near the boundary with the neighboring town of San Nicola la Strada, and right on the Via Appia. The Via Appia here, as at Capua, abandons its former SE direction for a length of 2,000 Oscan feet (500 m), for which it runs due east and then resumes its course SE. Ruins include remains of the walls and the pre-Roman necropolis was partially excavated in 1882. The ten shafts lined with slabs of tuff which may have been the approaches to tombs or may have served as wells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ausones</span> Ancient Italic tribes in Italy

"Ausones", the original name and the extant Greek form for the Latin "Aurunci", was a name applied by Greek writers to describe various Italic peoples inhabiting the southern and central regions of Italy. The term was used, specifically, to denote the particular tribe which Livy called the Aurunci, but later it was applied to all Italians, and Ausonia became a poetic term, in Greek and Latin, for Italy itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somma Vesuviana</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Somma Vesuviana is a town and comune in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, southern Italy.

San Gennaro Vesuviano is a comune and town located in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, in southern Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nocera Superiore</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Nocera Superiore is a town and comune in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ottaviano</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Ottaviano is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples in the Italian region of Campania, located about 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Naples and is located in the Vesuvian Area. Ottaviano was in Roman times a hamlet of houses within a vast estate belonging to the gens Octavia, Augustus's family.

Palma Campania, known until 1863 as Palma di Nola, is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 25 km east of Naples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pollena Trocchia</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Pollena Trocchia is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 11 km east of Naples.

References

Citations

  1. "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. "The British Museum". britishmuseum.com.
  4. Livy 9.28
  5. Philip Matyszak, Cataclysm 90 BC, p. 107; Lynda Telford, Sulla, p. 93.
  6. Villa where Augustus probably died is unearthed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJAcZ8CWVMAGB
  7. Mommsen, Corp. Inscr. Lat., Vol. X,p. 142.
  8. Mommsen asserts that roads apparently ran directly to Nola from Neapolis and Pompeii, but Heinrich Kiepert's attached map does not indicate their route. [7]
  9. 1 2 "Bell"  , 'Encyclopædia Britannica, 9th ed., Vol. III, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1878, pp. 536–7.
  10. Senior, Kathryn; Mazza, Alfredo (2004). "Italian "Triangle of death" linked to waste crisis". The Lancet Oncology. 5 (9): 525–527. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(04)01561-X. PMID   15384216.
  11. Pelham, Henry Francis (1911). "Augustus"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 2 (11th ed.). pp. 911–914.
  12. "Paulinus, Saint"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 20 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 962.
  13. Adamson, Robert; Mitchell, John Malcolm (1911). "Bruno, Giordano"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 4 (11th ed.). pp. 686–687.

Bibliography