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Nola is a town and a municipality in the
Metropolitan City of Naples The Metropolitan City of Naples ( it, Città metropolitana di Napoli) is an Italian metropolitan city in Campania region, established on 1 January 2015. Its capital city is Naples; within the city there are 92 comunes (municipalities). It was ...
,
Campania (man), it, Campana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demog ...
, southern
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
. It lies on the plain between
Mount Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ; it, Vesuvio ; nap, 'O Vesuvio , also or ; la, Vesuvius , also , or ) is a somma- stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of ...
and the Apennines. It is traditionally credited as the
diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...
that introduced
bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inte ...
s to
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
worship Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. It may involve one or more of activities such as veneration, adoration, praise, and praying. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognitio ...
.


History


Prehistory

Excavations at
Nola-Croce del Papa Nola-Croce del Papa was an early Bronze Age village discovered in May 2001 in the Campania region near Nola, Italy. The excavation was directed by French archaeologist Claude Albore Livadie, who described the settlement as the "first Pompeii". Di ...
have uncovered extensive evidence of a small village quickly abandoned at the time of the
Avellino Eruption The Avellino eruption of Mount Vesuvius refers to a Vesuvian eruption in 1995 BC. It is estimated to have had a VEI of 6, making it larger and more catastrophic than Vesuvius's more famous and well-documented 79 AD eruption. It is the sour ...
in the 17th century BC. This powerful eruption from
Mount Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ; it, Vesuvio ; nap, 'O Vesuvio , also or ; la, Vesuvius , also , or ) is a somma- stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of ...
caused the inhabitants to leave behind a wide range of pottery and other artefacts. The foundations of their buildings are also preserved in imprints among the mud left by the eruption.


Antiquity

Nola was one of the oldest cities of
Campania (man), it, Campana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demog ...
, with its most
ancient coins Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects. Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also includ ...
bearing the name Nuvlana. It was later said to have been founded by the
Ausones "Ausones" (; ), the original Greek form for the Latin "Aurunci", was a name applied by Greek writers to describe various Italic peoples inhabiting the southern and central regions of Italy. The term was used, specifically, to denote the partic ...
, who were certainly occupying the city by  BC. It once vied in luxury with
Capua Capua ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, in the region of Campania, southern Italy, situated north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. History Ancient era The name of Capua comes from the Etrusc ...
. During the Roman invasion of Campania in the
Samnite War The First, Second, and Third Samnite Wars (343–341 BC, 326–304 BC, and 298–290 BC) were fought between the Roman Republic and the Samnites, who lived on a stretch of the Apennine Mountains south of Rome and north of the Lucanian tribe. ...
in 328 BC, Nola was probably occupied by the
Oscan Oscan is an extinct Indo-European language of southern Italy. The language is in the Osco-Umbrian or Sabellic branch of the Italic languages. Oscan is therefore a close relative of Umbrian. Oscan was spoken by a number of tribes, including ...
s in alliance with the
Samnites The Samnites () were an ancient Italic people who lived in Samnium, which is located in modern inland Abruzzo, Molise, and Campania in south-central Italy. An Oscan-speaking people, who may have originated as an offshoot of the Sabines, they ...
. Nola sent 2000 troops to defend
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
against the Romans (Paleopolis/Neapolis) in 327 BC. The Romans took Nola in 313 BC after setting fire to buildings near the city walls. Under Roman rule during
Hannibal Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Pu ...
's invasion of Italy amid the
Second Punic War The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of three wars fought between Carthage and Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For 17 years the two states struggled for supremacy, primarily in Ital ...
, the city was the site of the
1st First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
, 2nd, and 3rd Battles of Nola. On two occasions (215 and 214 BC), it was defended by Marcellus. In 90 BC it fell by treason to the Samnites during the Social War. In 89 BC,
Sulla Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He won the first large-scale civil war in Roman history and became the first man of the Republic to seize power through force. Sulla ha ...
routed the rebel army near Pompeii, chased them to Nola and there massacred 20,000 rebels at the Battle of Nola in front of the walls. It was stormed in 73-72 BC by Spartacus during his failed slave revolt. The 1st c. BC saw a number of public buildings constructed including the
amphitheatre An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
. The
emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( e ...
Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
died nearby at his sumptuous villa at Somma Vesuviana on 19 August AD 14, in allegedly the same room
his father His or HIS may refer to: Computing * Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company * Honeywell Information Systems * Hybrid intelligent system * Microsoft Host Integration Server Education * Hangzhou International School, in ...
died in 72 years earlier. Augustus and
Vespasian Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Em ...
settled
colonies In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state' ...
in the area. In the
Roman road Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman R ...
network, Nola lay between
Capua Capua ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, in the region of Campania, southern Italy, situated north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. History Ancient era The name of Capua comes from the Etrusc ...
and Lower Nocera on the Via Popilia. A branch road ran from it to Abella and
Avellino Avellino () is a town and ''comune'', capital of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is situated in a plain surrounded by mountains east of Naples and is an important hub on the road from Salerno to Benevento. ...
. Nola was connected to the plentiful water supply of the
Serino aqueduct The Aqua Augusta, or Serino Aqueduct ( it, Acquedotto romano del Serino), was one of the largest, most complex and costliest Aqueduct (Roman), aqueduct systems in the Roman Empire, Roman world; it supplied water to at least eight ancient cities ...
after 20 BC. Though a relative backwater, Nola retained its status as a ', its own institutions, and the use of the
Oscan language Oscan is an extinct Indo-European language of southern Italy. The language is in the Osco-Umbrian or Sabellic branch of the Italic languages. Oscan is therefore a close relative of Umbrian. Oscan was spoken by a number of tribes, including ...
. It was divided into ', the names of some of which are preserved: ', ', '. The discoveries of the pavement of the ancient city have not been noted with sufficient care to recover most of the plan, but a large number of Grecian vases were made at Nola, using its fine yellow clay and a shining black glaze. They are decorated with red figures. Following the
rise of Christianity The history of Christianity concerns the Christian religion, Christian countries, and the Christians with their various denominations, from the 1st century to the present. Christianity originated with the ministry of Jesus, a Jewish teache ...
, it became a
bishopric In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
. One bishop, the Christian
senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...
Paulinus, is traditionally credited with the introduction of the use of
bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inte ...
s to Christian worship.. His small handbells were subsequently known as ''s'' for his seat and the larger tower bells as ''s'' from the surrounding area. Revered as a saint, Paulinus's
relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tang ...
s turned the town into a site of
Christian pilgrimage Christianity has a strong tradition of pilgrimages, both to sites relevant to the New Testament narrative (especially in the Holy Land) and to sites associated with later saints or miracles. History Christian pilgrimages were first made to ...
.


Middle Ages

Nola was sacked by Alaric in 410 and by the
Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century. The Vandals migrated to the area be ...
under Gaiseric in 453. It was liberated from Muslim invaders by Muslims in 904 and captured by
Manfred ''Manfred: A dramatic poem'' is a closet drama written in 1816–1817 by Lord Byron. It contains supernatural elements, in keeping with the popularity of the ghost story in England at the time. It is a typical example of a Gothic fiction. Byr ...
of
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
in the 13th century. Under
Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...
of Anjou, it was held by Guy de Montfort as the . It was inherited by his eldest daughter's Orsini husband and then held by members of their family.


Modern age

The
1460 Battle of Nola __NOTOC__ The Battle of the Sarno (7 July 1460),. also known as the Battle of Nola,. was a decisive defeat of the forces of Ferdinand, king of Naples, by his dissatisfied barons supporting the claim of John of Anjou, duke of Lorraine. It was fought ...
is noteworthy for the clever stratagem by which John,
duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, t ...
of Calabria, defeated
Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...
,
king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ...
of
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
, who fled the field with only 20 followers. Ferdinand, however, was supported by Pope Pius II, the duke of Milan, and the
Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the ...
n lord
Skanderbeg , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...
. With his wife Isabella successfully wooing John's major supporters away, the king recovered his domain over the next decade. Nola itself subsequently lost its importance after its repeated destruction by earthquakes in the 15th and 16th centuries. The nearby Cicala Castle was the birthplace of
Giordano Bruno Giordano Bruno (; ; la, Iordanus Brunus Nolanus; born Filippo Bruno, January or February 1548 – 17 February 1600) was an Italian philosopher, mathematician, poet, cosmological theorist, and Hermetic occultist. He is known for his cosmolo ...
(. 1548). In 1820, General Pepe's
revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
began in Nola. The sculptor
Giovanni Merliano Giovanni da Nola (1478–1559), also known as Giovanni Merliano, was an Italian sculptor and architect of the Renaissance, active in Naples. He was born the son of a leather merchant, in Nola near Naples. Da Nola moved to Naples where he trained ...
was a native of the city; and some of his works are preserved in the cathedral. Nola is a suburb of
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
. In the 1990s to the 2000s, a waste management crisis broke out in the city as a result of illegal dumping by the
Camorra The Camorra (; ) is an Italian Mafia-typeMafia and Mafia-type orga ...
. Most of the waste was dumped between Nola, Acerra, and
Marigliano Marigliano is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, southern Italy. The town lies 19 km from Naples. Nearby towns include: Acerra, Brusciano, Mariglianella, Nola, San Vitaliano, Scisciano, Somma Vesuviana. Main ...
, referred to as the " Triangle of Death". A 2004 study by Alfredo Mazza published in ''
The Lancet Oncology ''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal and one of the oldest of its kind. It is also the world's highest-impact academic journal. It was founded in England in 1823. The journal publishes original research articles, ...
'' revealed that deaths by cancer in the area are much higher than the European average.


Sights

* St Thomas's ('; built in the 3rd century, decorated with frescoes 9–11th century, later renovated) Other Roman ruins, including a temple to Augustus, survived as long as the 16th century, they were then plundered for building material and few signs remain. A few tombs are preserved, and results from excavations are displayed at the Archaeological Museum. Other sites include: *
Nola Cathedral Nola Cathedral ( it, Cattedrale di Nola; Duomo di Nola; Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Nola, a municipality within Naples in Campania, Italy, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is the episcopal ...
: a
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
church (rebuilt in 1593, and again starting 1866) * Old Cathedral ('; according to tradition, first built AD 95, rebuilt 1190, reduced 1593, renovated in the Baroque style 1740s) * Orsini Palace ('; first built in 1470, later modified and renovated) * San Biago's, a late-Renaissance church decorated with polychrome marble and 17th-century Neapolitan paintings * Seminario Vescovile Nola, the local seminary, which preserves the '' Cippus Abellanus'' Oscan inscriptions * Cicala Castle * Giordano Bruno monument *


Roman amphitheatre

The passion for gladiatorial combat was at its strongest in Campania among the locals and also the army veterans. So a permanent building for these was erected, as elsewhere, in the 1st c. BC, holding 20000 spectators. The site was just inside the northern walls where existing buildings were demolished and one side of the arena took advantage of the wall embankment. The podium was faced with sheets of white marble elaborately carved with scenes and finished at the top with a balustrade with the same stone. It was partially rebuilt and renovated over the centuries, maybe after earthquakes. By the end of the 5th century it was abandoned and used as a quarry. The eruption of
Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ; it, Vesuvio ; nap, 'O Vesuvio , also or ; la, Vesuvius , also , or ) is a somma- stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of ...
in the early 6th century and the subsequent flood partially buried the building and saved some of it for posterity, including marble in the process of being carried away.


Notable people

* Gaius Octavius, politician and father of the Roman emperor Augustus, died at Nola in 59 BC *
Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
, founder of the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Medite ...
, died at Nola 19 August AD 14 * St Felix of Nola * St Paulinus of Nola, senator, bishop, and theologian * Luigi Tansillo *
Giovanni Merliano Giovanni da Nola (1478–1559), also known as Giovanni Merliano, was an Italian sculptor and architect of the Renaissance, active in Naples. He was born the son of a leather merchant, in Nola near Naples. Da Nola moved to Naples where he trained ...
, whose work is well represented in the cathedral *
Ambrogio Leo Ambrogio is a given name, and may refer to: *Saint Ambrogio (Ambrose), patron saint of Milan *Ambrogio Lorenzetti ( – 1348), painter *Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, the birth name of Pope Pius XI *Ambrogio Bergognone, Renaissance painter *Ambr ...
, a doctor *
Nicola Antonio Stigliola Nicola Antonio Stigliola (Also: Colantonio Stelliola) (1546 Nola – 1623 Naples) was an Italian philosopher, printer, architect, and medical doctor. He was a friend of Tommaso Campanella and Giordano Bruno and a member of the Accademia de ...
, a philosopher *
Giordano Bruno Giordano Bruno (; ; la, Iordanus Brunus Nolanus; born Filippo Bruno, January or February 1548 – 17 February 1600) was an Italian philosopher, mathematician, poet, cosmological theorist, and Hermetic occultist. He is known for his cosmolo ...
, who referred to himself as the ' and his work as ' *
Nicola Napolitano Nicola Napolitano may refer to: *Nicola Napolitano (brigand) Nicola Napolitano (February 28, 1838 – September 10, 1863), also known by the nickname Caprariello, a nickname derived from his activity of goatherd, was born in Nola from the peasant ...
, brigand *
Pasquale Russo Pasquale Russo (; born February 28, 1947) is an Italian Camorrista and boss of the Russo clan from Nola, which he co-founded. He has been running the clan together with his brother Salvatore for over thirty years. He has been on the "most wanted ...
,
Camorra The Camorra (; ) is an Italian Mafia-typeMafia and Mafia-type orga ...
boss and founder of the Russo clan * Salvatore Russo, camorrista and boss of the Russo clan * Guy de Montfort, Count of Nola


Culture

Two fairs are held in Nola: one on 14 June and another on 12 November. The Festival of the Lilies (') is held on 22 June or the Sunday beforehand, honouring St Paulinus. It lasts seven days, until the next Sunday. Eight lilies and a boat are made of wood and covered with papier-mache from the city's art shops. On the last day of the festival, the huge lilies are carried through the town on residents' shoulders along a route that has been followed for more than a thousand years. Each represents one of the local guilds or corporations, coming in the following order: * Greengrocers (') * Butchers of pigs (') * Innkeepers (') * Bakers (') * Boatmakers (') * Butchers of other meats (') * Shoemakers (') * Smiths (') * Dressmakers (') Each of the organizations is responsible for one day of the festivities. The 2010 festival—along with its fellows—was nominated as a
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
.


Twin towns – sister cities

Nola is
twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...
with: * Sassari, Italy (2006)


See also

*
Vulcano Buono Il Vulcano Buono ( it, The Good Volcano) is a shopping mall and leisure center located in Nola, near the frazione of Polvica, Italy. Inaugurated on December 7, 2007, it was designed by renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano. Overview The complex i ...


References


Citations


Bibliography


External links


Official website of the commune


(October 2000)

(2004) * Websites devoted to the Festival of the Lilies
iGigliGiugno Nolano

One of the "fishing boats" of the Festival of the Lilies
{{Authority control Roman sites of Campania Cities and towns in Campania History of the Camorra in Italy Osci Giordano Bruno Italic archaeological sites