Under the ancient rock of the castle there is Aquara. It is around
500 m above the sea-level and its name comes from the many springs
of its territory. Aquara is crossed in the Southern part by Calore
River, but there are also many streams, among them the longest
were Pietra and Fierro. The nature of this territory is made of
green plains, nice hills, a fertile and rich soil, tasteful fruits,
salubrious and mild climate. The air is actually very salubrious,
in fact this town was considered very good for children by the
physicians of Scuola Medica Salernitana and Neapolitan physicians.
Aquara has a great artistic and archaeological heritage, a history
made of proverbs and beliefs. San Nicola di Bari Church is very
interesting, it has three naves and there is the statue of the
Saint kept in a niche of the apse, stuccoed by Nicolas Capozzoli
in 1746. On the Eastern part of the church there is the bell tower
with a late-Norman arch. On the parvis there is a beautiful Belvedere.
The Patron is San Lucido and he is celebrated with a wonderful
feast on the 28th of July.
HISTORY
Aquara is a very ancient town, it was founded by Greeks but was subdued also by Etrurians, Lucani, Samnites and Romans. In the past Aquara was a fortified town: it was surrounded by a rock, walls and towers. According to a legend, under the rock there was the tournament where, during Aragons age, soldiers and young men practised fighting. After Barbaric invasions Aquara was conquered by Goths, Byzantines, Longobards and Saracens and eventually Normans.
The feud of Aquara belonged to many different families: Mastrogiudice from Sorrento, Cioffi from Salerno, Angevins and Sanseverino, then Piatto and Spinelli
FOLKLORE AND EVENTS
• San Lucido, the Patron, Feast (28th July)
• San Rocco Feast (August)
• Madonna del Piano Feast
MONUMENTS AND NATURAL BEAUTIES
• Castle, with two beautiful stone fountains and wonderful decorations under the entrance vault
• Mercantella and San Lucido fountains
• Serrelli Palace with the private chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Graces
• San Nicola di Bari Church. It is very interesting, it has three naves and there is the statue of the Saint kept in a niche of the apse, stuccoed by Nicolas Capozzoli in 1746. On the Eastern part of the church there is the bell tower with a late-Norman arch. On the parvis there is a beautiful Belvedere
• Annunziata Church and Monastery of XIV century
• Santa Maria del Carmelo Church, with wood papier-mâché statues and tow XVIII century paintings: the Crucifixion and Our Lady of the Graces with Saint Francis of Paola
• San Rocco Chapel, built in XVII century, during the plague of 1656 (he was the patron of plague-stricken people)
• Palazzo Ducale of XII century. Inside there is a wonderful cloister with a portico. In the vault of the portico there are interesting frescoes. In the upper floor there is a beautiful fountain made with local stone
• Santa Maria del Piano Church, built as a desire of San Lucido, patron of the town between 1020 and 1030. On the ceiling there is a painting by Bargellini, portraying the Glory of San Lucido
• Ruins of the Benedictine Abbey of San Pietro, near it there are also the remains of a villa built in Roman age, at the end of I century b.C.
• Mainardi hamlet, on Calore river, a well-equipped area
• Water-mill in Pantano hamlet
• Jannace pinewood near the small church of Madonna del Cantiere
• Macchie pinewoods
Testi: Stefania Maffeo
