Agro Nocerino Sarnese are is on the Sarno River valley, between Naples and Salerno and the Lattari and Picentini Mountains. It is an homogeneous economical and geographical area. It includes several towns: Angri, Castel San Giorgio, Corbara, Nocera Inferiore, Nocera Superiore, Pagani, Roccapiemonte, San Marzano sul Sarno, San Valentino Torio, Sant’Egidio del Monte Albino, Sarno, Scafati e Siano.

The land is volcanic and fertile thanks to the presence of Sarno River, too. There are many natural springs in all the territory, especially at the slopes of the mountains. The art heritage is really rich: the archaeological area of Nuceria Alfaterna, the town that rivalled Pompei, the ancient roads of Roman period (such as Via Popilia) and the towers and castles show that this territory has always been an active one.

HISTORY
During pre-Roman age the area was governed by Nuceria Alfaterna, the capital of the Samnite confederation that included the territory between the entrance of Naples and the Gulf of Salerno, including Pompei, Ercolano, Stabia and Sorrento, too.

In 216 b.C. Hannibal destroyed Nocera, the survivors went away and founded some other small villages, that developed to form the modern municipalities. In 79 a.C. there was a terrible eruption by Vesuvius.

In high Middle Ages the inhabitants of Nocera, made by many small hamlets, were oppressed by the continuous barbaric invasions and moved in the nearest area to defend themselves. This territory underwent Longobard, Saracen invasions; Norman, Svevian, Angevin and Aragon dominations. In 1806 all the small towns became independent municipalities.

FOLKLORE AND EVENTS
Dried salted cod festival, linked to the cult of Our Lady of Constantinople (June), in Castel San Giorgio
Festa del Majo, it is organised by Roccapiemonte and Nocera Superiore mayors. This feast was first celebrated at the beginning of XVII century: green small branches decorated with flowers and leaves are brought in a parade as the symbol of fertility. The mayors of the two towns meet (each mayor is the leader of the procession of his town) in the square in front of Materdomini Basilica. They exchange their sashes and then go into the church. This feast is a way to recall the homage that feudatories and soldiers gave to the abbot of the monastery. Another interesting event is the “Intreccio”, a dance show in which dancers interlace holding a small vineyard branch in their hands (1st May)
Our Lady of Hens Feast (on the first Sunday after Easter). There is a big procession, many people dance and play music in the streets until the night giving life to the popular music and traditions festival. This is a strange religious feast and has an unusual name, too. It is inspired by a legend: a portrait of Our Lady was buried to be saved from Saracen invasions. Some hens found it. Actually, in VII century farmers were used to offer hens to Our Lady as a sign of devotion. People are really very devoted to Our Lady of Hens also for another episode: a cripple miraculously recovered at the beginning of XVII century thanks to Our Lady of Hens. This feast recalls the ancient veneration of the goddess Demeter, who protected nature and crops, in Pagani
Palio, with horses and nights in ancient costumes, in one of the competitions the knights have to detach with the teeth a coin stuck at the bottom of a pan (September), in Angri
Primitive cherry festival (May), in Siano
Madonna delle Vergini Feast, she protects the unmarried girls to whom the inhabitants of the town prepared the marriage settlement. During the celebration of the feast, the statue of Our Lady is brought outside and there is a procession that lasts until the following Sunday when the statue goes back to the church, on the altar (July), in Scafati
“Pomodoro Dop”, a congress and a music show (September), in San Marzano sul Sarno
“Corbarino” festival (Corbarino is a kind of tomato, called also “a piennolo” because they are kept in grapes, hanged to a cord) (August), in Corbara
The election of the mayor, performed in ancient costumes (September) in Sant’Egidio Monte Albino
Saint Valentine Martyr, the Patron, Feast with several events about love (February) in San Valentino Torio
Jazz in parco, music, art and gastronomy review (spring) in Nocera Inferiore
On Good Friday there is a very interesting procession, that of “paputi”, members of seven confraternities, they bring wood crosses while people sing. They are dressed with white tunics and hooded, San Matteo confraternity’s hoods are red, and the others’ are mainly blue and violet. They go the San Matteo Collegiate church crossing Terravecchia hamlet, and thus reproducing the Way of the Cross, in Sarno

MONUMENTS AND NATURAL BEAUTIES
Villa Calvanese with park, with wonderful XIX century fountains and basins in Castel San Giorgio
Santa Maria Maggiore “La Rotonda” Baptistery, founded in the second half of VI century a.C. It has a round shape, divided by two rows of columns with a beautiful dome. Inside, there are wonderful glazed polychrome floors, there is also a XIV century chapel, in Nocera Superiore
San Giovanni Battista, the Patron, Church, with the chapel of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where a beautiful portrait of Our Lady is kept, Roccapiemonte
Madonna delle Galline (Madonna Incoronata del Carmine) Church. There are 21 paintings about the life of Our Lady, about the Angels and the Saints, Pagani
Doria Castle, seat of the town hall. It was built in 1290 when Carlo II d’Angiò, called the lame, gave Angri feud to the royal soldier Pietro De Braheriis or Braherio. Doria family created also a great park, today it is the villa comunale. The castle is divided into three parts: two towers called “Torrione”, the courtyard at the entrance with a XVIII century staircase and the palace, in Angri
San Rocco, the patron, church is very interesting: it’s formed by two buildings that originally were two congregations, one of SS. Rosario and the other of SS. Sebastiano and Rocco. The façade is of XVIII century but the bell tower is of XIX century. Inside there is a very interesting ancient baptismal font, some beautiful XVIII century paintings and a crypt devoted to the dead, in Siano
Santa Maria delle Vergini, the Patron, Church built in the first half of XVI century; it keeps a good art patrimony. A XVI century polyptich by Decio Tramontanois on the main altar. There is a wood statue of Our Lady, made in 1713 by sculptor Nicola Fumo, in Scafati
The archaeological museum, there are finds from the Iron Age, such as decorated pots with geometric drawings, Etrurian ceramics, etc., in San Marzano sul Sarno
Grotta del Caprile, a cave, in Corbara
Valle delle Fontanelle and vallone del Lupo to do paragliding in Sant’Egidio Monte Albino
San Giacomo Maggiore Apostolo Cathedral, with the relics of Saint Valentine. There are beautiful paintings by the famous painter, Solimena, a polyptich by Andrea Sabatino, called from Salerno, a contemporary of Giotto, of 1511, portraying Our Lady of Graces among four Saints and the painting by Marco Pino, a pupil of Michelangelo, portraying the Last Supper, of 1582, in Sant’Egidio Monte Albino
Museo Provinciale dell’Agro Nocerino, with interesting ancient finds especially funerary finds of Bronze age coming from the territory of San Marzano, ceramics of Osca age and others in Nocera Inferiore
Middle Ages castle Fienga, it was one of the most important of the Longobard princedom of Salerno. There is a great XIII century pentagonal tower. Today only a few ruins of the ancient structure remain. On the ruins of the ancient castle, Fienga family built a new house in XIX century, with wonderful gardens and a collection of archaeological finds from Nocera, Pompei and Scafati, in Nocera Inferiore
Museo della Valle del Sarno, where finds from Iron age to Roman period are kept

ECONOMY
The land is very fertile, so agriculture is maybe the most important resource of the area. During Borbonic period this territory was drained and a network of channels was created to better exploit the waters of Sarno River. These waters have always been very important, not only for agriculture but also for the textile factories. The typical product is San Marzano tomato. Other products are tobacco and textile fibres. Food factories and tanneries are very well developed, especially those for the canning of tomatoes. There are some engineering and mechanical factories, too. They provide the machines and the wood and plastic packing used in tanneries and other food factories. The service industry, especially transport and shipment agencies, is very well developed, too and it is linked to the industrial production.