Battipaglia

Battipaglia (pronounced [ˌbattiˈpaʎʎa]) is a town and a comune in the province of Salerno, in the Campania region of south-western Italy.

Battipaglia
Comune di Battipaglia
The medieval Castelluccio of Battipaglia, the town's most famous landmark
Battipaglia within the Province of Salerno
and Campania
Location of Battipaglia
Battipaglia
Location of Battipaglia in Italy
Battipaglia
Battipaglia (Campania)
Coordinates: 40°37′N 14°59′E
CountryItaly
RegionCampania
ProvinceSalerno (SA)
FrazioniAversana, Belvedere, Fasanara, Lago, Padova, San Emilio, Santa Lucia Inferiore, Spineta, Tavernola, Verdesca, Vivai
Government
  MayorCecilia Francese (civic lists)
Area
  Total56.46 km2 (21.80 sq mi)
Elevation
72 m (236 ft)
Population
 (December 31, 2019)[2]
  Total50,780
  Density900/km2 (2,300/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Battipagliesi
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
84091
Dialing code0039 0828
Patron saintSanta Maria della Speranza
Saint dayfirst Sunday and second Monday in July
WebsiteOfficial website

The third most populous city of the province, it is renowned for the production of buffalo mozzarella and for the various agricultural crops, which make Battipaglia one of the most fertile territories of the Sele plain (of which it is also the leading industrial hub).

History

Formerly part of the ancient Greek colonies of the Magna Graecia, the municipal area, as well as most of the southern Tyrrhenian coast, was the site of strategic Roman settlements during the late Republican-early Imperial times. Archaeological excavations have brought to light several finds probably dating back to as early as the 3rd century BC, pertaining to at least two villas. One of those was located in the immediate vicinity of the sea, part of a larger thermal complex. The other was positioned internally and likely served as a productive belt between cereal crops in the plain, and olive crops and vineyards up on the hill.[3]

The area was first given its modern name in 1080, when Robert Guiscard confirmed to the Catholic Church of Salerno the possession of lands between the Sele river and the Tusciano river. It is generally believed that the name Battipaglia is formed by the union of the words batti (to thresh) and paglia (to straw), owing to the activity of peasants in the past. However, some scholars have hypothesized that the name could have originated from Baptipalla, indicating a place devoted to Voltumna, a chthonic Etruscan deity.[4]

Battipaglia as a definite townishp was formally created by Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies in 1858, as the Bourbon authorities chose the place as the site of an agricultural colony where families who had survived the 1857 Basilicata earthquake could be rehoused. It was eventually granted the status of independent municipality by a Royal Decree on March 28, 1929 (during the Mussolini Cabinet), comprising parts of the territories which had been previously included in the nearby towns of Eboli and Montecorvino Rovella.[5]

In 1943, during World War II, the town suffered heavy bombing by Allied air force, resulting in 117 civilian casualties. Although most of the town had been razed to the ground,[6] in the aftermath of the conflict Battipaglia would be rebuilt remarkably quickly, even attracting migrants from the hinterland seeking work. The town thus experienced an outstanding increase in population between 1951 and 1960, turning into a dynamic industrial area. In 1953, Battipaglia went under the media spotlight as its socialist mayor, Lorenzo Rago, was kidnapped and never found again.[7]

Rail blockade during the 1969 demonstrations

In 1969, due to the scheduled shutdown of two large sugar and tobacco processing factories — both employing a significant number of locals — thousands of Battipagliesi carried out widespread riots, which would be calmed down few days later following the Italian government's commitment to keep both operational. The few but intense days of social unrest — which took place in the context of a wider protest movement by students and workers in Italy and several other Western countries — eventually resulted in two fatalities.[8]

Since the late 20th and early 21st century, the agricultural sector has been joined by the industrial one, several companies having established factories in the city.[9]

Geography

The municipality borders with Bellizzi, Eboli, Montecorvino Rovella, Olevano sul Tusciano and Pontecagnano Faiano.[10] Its hamlets (frazioni) are Aversana, Belvedere, Fasanara, Lago, Padova, San Emilio, Santa Lucia Inferiore, Spineta, Tavernola, Verdesca, and Vivai.[11]

Demographics

Population

The ethnic origins of the inhabitants are extremely varied. The first migration wave, beginning in the nineteenth century, led many people to move there from Melfi and neighboring municipalities. In the 1960s, the local population soared due to the influx of immigrants from bordering areas (including the towns of the Monti Picentini, Campagna, the valley of the river Sele and Cilento), mainly because of the job opportunities in the town's industry and the economic boom experienced by Italy in that historical period. Over the last two decades, the aforementioned have been joined by other groups, mainly eastern European and northern African expats.

Economy

Most of the town's wealth is due to the industrial, craft, and agricultural sectors.

A plant of Fiaschello Battipagliese

A large number of local dairy companies produce the well-known local buffalo mozzarella (Mozzarella di bufala campana DOP), a famous form of which is called zizzona di Battipaglia (Battipaglia boob) because of its similarity to a female breast.[12]

In addition to that, Battipaglia is a production area of Carciofo di Paestum (Paestum artichoke) IGP, annurca IGP, and tomato Fiaschello.

Among the most significant companies which established factories in Battipaglia are: Bonduelle (food), Prysmian (telecommunications cables), Sivam (animal husbandry), Cooper Standard Automotive (car parts), Nexans (electric cables), Crown, Deriblok (packaging), and Jcoplastic (plastic).

Culture

Every first Sunday of July the town's center is decked to the nines for three days on the occasion of the celebrating of Our Lady of Hope (Festa della Speranza). The big town market, whose atmosphere recalls an amusement park where traders can display their wares, lasts from Saturday to Monday, usually ending with a music exhibition in the central Piazza Amendola.[13]

Education

Battipaglia houses a number of secondary schools, both public and private:

Media

  • L'Occhio di Salerno e Provincia (press)
  • Battipaglia 1929 (online news outlet)
  • Battipaglia News (online news outlet)
  • Voce di Strada (web TV)
  • Radio Castelluccio (radio)
  • BoOonzo (web radio)
  • Sei TV (TV channel)
  • Sud TV (TV channel)

Literature

  • L. Rocco Carbone, Battipaglia, 70 anni nella sua storia, Massa Editore (1999).

See also

References

  1. "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Istat. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. (in Italian) Source: Istat 2019
  3. (in Italian) Periodo Romano |date=2018-09-30 }}
  4. (in Italian) Origins and history of Battipaglia Archived 2017-07-30 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Cestaro, Antonio (1984). "Il terremoto del 1857 in Basilicata e nel Salernitano: la fondazione della colonia agricola di Battipaglia". Ricerche di Storia Sociale e Religiosa. 13: 17–68.
  6. Craven, Wesley Frank; Cate, James Lea (1949). The Army Air Forces In World War II: Volume 2, Europe: Torch to Pointblank, August 1942 to December 1943. The University of Chicago Press. pp. 534–535. ISBN 091279903X.
  7. Mottola, Oreste (2007). I paesi delle ombre. La scomparsa di Ettore Majorana, Hemingway e quasi altre trenta storie. Agenzia Magna Graecia. ISBN 8890247592.
  8. Italians Bury 2 Killed in Rioting; Prelate at Battipaglia Rites Asks Calm in Tense City
  9. Di Bello, Marco (28 March 2018). "Battipaglia compie 89 anni tra lavoro e crisi". Il Mattino. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  10. 40609 Battipaglia on OpenStreetMap
  11. "Frazioni del Comune di Battipaglia". Comuni e città.it.
  12. Savarese, Antonio. "La Zizzona di Battipaglia - intervista ad Enrico Paraggio". Foodmakers.it.
  13. "Battipaglia, Festa della Speranza: il programma religioso e civile". Occhio di Salerno.
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