Travel Guide Salerno

The main town in southern Campania guarantees a relaxed atmosphere in its historic center and good places to enjoy the regional culinary specialties. Its strategic location between the Amalfi Coast, Paestum and Cilento makes it a good base for exploring the region. In addition to its medieval core built below the Arechi castle, Salerno is home to many convents. Developed in Roman times, the city had its heyday between the Lombard (8th century) and Norman (11th century) periods. Its medical school contributed greatly to the prestige acquired by the city in the Middle Ages. Favoring a medicine based on ancient traditions, its knowledge was spread throughout the Christian West. Joachim Murat, king of Naples during the Napoleonic era, closed the school in 1812. Historically, Salerno is also linked to the Allied landings in September 1943, whose bombing destroyed a large number of testimonies of this very rich past. Largely supplanted by Naples, it remains nevertheless one of the important centers of the region (provincial capital) with a strong agro-industrial, port and commercial activity. Salerno suffers from the prestigious neighborhood of the Amalfi Coast to the west and Paestum to the south, and remains unjustly neglected by travelers. However, the historic center is attractive and the city can be an interesting base from which to explore the region. Accommodation is more economical than on the Amalfi Coast and there are good restaurants.