Campania

Regions \ Campania

The capital city of Campania is Naples and being home to the majestic towns of Capri, Amalfi and Sorrento, Campania is rich in culture, especially in regards to gastronomy, music, architecture, archeological and ancient sites such as Pompeii, Herculaneum and Paestum.

Location

Located on the Italian Peninsula, with the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west, the small Flegrean Islands and Capri are also administratively part of the region.

Geography

15% Lowland – 34% Mountain – 51% Hill

Campania has an area of 13,595 Km2 and a coastline of 350 km on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Campania is famous for its gulfs (Naples, Salerno and Policastra) as well as for three islands (Capri, Ischia and Procida).

Four other regions border Campania; Lazio to the northwest, Molise to the north, Apulia to the northeast and Basilicata to the east.

The mountainous area is fragmentised in separate massifs, rarely reaching 2,000 metres (Miltetto of 2,050 m), whereas close to the coast there are volcanic massifs: Vesuvio (1,277 m) and Campi Flegrei.

The climate is typically Mediterranean along the coast, whereas in the inner zones it is more continental, with low temperatures in winter. 51% of the total area is hilly, 34% mountainous and the remaining 15% is made up of plains. There is a high ‘seismic’ risk in the area of the region.

Climate

Naples, like much of the Campania region, enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters and warm to hot, dry summers. The mild climate and the geographical richness of the bay of Naples made it famous during Roman times, when emperors chose the city as a favourite holiday location.

Major Cities

Naples (Napoli)
Agropoli
Amalfi
Avellino
Benevento
Caserta
Gallo Matese
Maiori
Massa Lubrense
Positano
Praiano
Salerno
Sorrento

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Amalfi Coast
Capri and Ischia - the famed islands in the Bay of Naples
Calitri
Caserta’s royal palace
Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park
Paestum Greek temples
Roman archaeological sites in Pompeii (Pompei) & Herculaneum (Hercolano)
Mount Vesuvius
Montella
Phlegraean Fields
Pozzuoli

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What to do

The ocean is one of the biggest lures to visitors of the Campania region.

The Amalfi coasts presents a series of mountainside towns that seem to tumble into the sea. Also, not far from Naples are some of the most beautiful islands in the world: Ischia, Capri and Procida.

Visit an ancient village called Calitri, located in the centre of Italy – halfway between the ruins of Pompeii and the Amalfi coast to the west and Magna Graecia to the east. The area around Calitri is sprinkled with castles, aristocratic palazzos and delightful locations soaked in history and tradition, ridged with hills and valleys and marked by the ancient trails along which Hannibal and his legions marched when setting off to attack ancient Rome 2,000 years ago.

Cuisine

Perhaps the Campania product most widely known is Mozzarella di Bufala, with DOP awarded by the European Union. Due to vast market demand and the scarce number of water buffalo, it is also however a product at risk of a bufala- (also Italian for scam). To avoid this, each wrapper carries the symbol of the protection consortium to guarantee its authenticity and geographic origin. The origin of the mozzarella – so called from the verb mozzarella to cut – probably goes back to the 12th century, while the buffalo was already part of the Campanian landscape in the 7th century. The true characteristic of this fresh cheese with a delicate taste is its consistency, which should be firm, slightly elastic and chewy. When cut, the centre of a true mozzarella di bufala ‘weeps’: an interior still be slightly serous, protected by a thin skin and it should be smooth, but not viscous. It should be preserved in its liquid for no more than 48 hours, preferably not in the refrigerator but in a cool and airy place. As well as the characteristic round form it is produced in braids, knots, nuts and cherries and there is also a smoked version.

It is not possible to talk about Campania™s gastronomy without mentioning the pizza. This palate™s delight was born in Naples, in honour of Queen Margaret. From simple baked product it became a fanciful, rich, surprising and always appreciated food.

Drinks

Local Campanian beverages include limoncello and crema di limone, both lemon-based. Limoncello has the highest alcohol content, is very strong in flavor, and is a very bright translucent yellow color. Crema di limone, as the name suggests, is cream-based. It is less strong than limoncello and is an opaque off-white. Another beverage highly recommended for travelers to Italy is coffee – ask for caffe, espresso, cappucino, or caffe latte. Especially for US travellers, the quality of the coffee and the drink preparation is vastly better than at home, and a coffee at a small cafe is the perfect way to wind down while in Italy. Coffee or espresso are also staple after-dinner drinks in Italy, but Italians drink cappucino mainly as a morning drink, so you may get strange looks when ordering this after a meal. Local Italian beer includes Nastro Azzurro, Moretti, and Peroni – all mild-tasting lagers similar to Heineken. Beer is extremely locally available in the cafes and ristorantes in Campania, though wine is more the local drink of choice with a meal. True to Italy’s image, wine is readily available in Campania (though at some stores it is less cheap than some travelers may be expecting). Prices in local groceries for a bottle of wine vary somewhere between EURO 4.50-100+. Some of the cities in Campania such as Positano, Sorrento, and cities on the islands of Capri andIschia will be more expensive due to their high levels of tourism. One local wine of Campania is Lacryma Christi, or “Tears of Christ”. This wine is produced on the lower slopes of Mount Vesuvius and is available at many groceries in Campania. For travelers going to the Mount Vesuvius National Park, this wine is available from some of the giftshops at the top at a deeply reduced rate compared with other stores in the area. Terraced land for grape cultivation is frequently visible in countryside of Campania, and many other local wines exist.

Travel Links

Politics

The Politics of Campania

Italy takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democracy, whereby the President of Regional Government is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Regional Government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Regional Council.

The Regional Council of Campania (Consiglio Regionale della Campania) is composed of 60 members, of which 47 are elected in provincial constituencies with proportional representation, 12 from the so-called “regional list” of the elected President and the last one is for the candidate for President who comes second, who usually becomes the leader of the opposition in the Council. If a coalition wins more than 55% of the vote, only 6 candidates from the “regional list” will be elected and the number of those elected in provincial constituencies will be 53.^[2]

The Council is elected for a five-year term, but, if the President suffers a vote of no confidence, resigns or dies, under the simul stabunt vel simul cadent prevision (introduced in 1999), also the Council will be dissolved and there will be a fresh election.

Media Galleries

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Pompeii