Battipaglia

Battipaglia (pronounced [ˌbattiˈpaʎʎa]) is a town and comune in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy, with 50,485 inhabitants. History The area was given its modern name in 1080, when Robert Guiscard confirmed the possession of lands between the Sele river and Tusciano river to the Church of Salerno. The Castelluccio, mentioned in the document, was owned by the Church of Salerno, then it moved on to Count Marcoaldo, to the Teutonic Order, back to the Church of Salerno, to the Doria family, and finally to Marquis Giulio Pignatelli. Battipaglia was created by Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies as an agricultural colony in 1858, being defined as an independent municipality by a Royal Decree on 28 March 1929. The Bourbon authorities chose Battipaglia as the site of an agricultural colony, where families who had survived the 1857 earthquake in Basilicata could be rehoused. During the second world war, in 1943, the town was bombed several times by the American aviators. In 1953 the town was at the center of national news when Socialist mayor Lorenzo Rago disappeared, and in spite of police searches, he wouldn't be found anymore. In the years following the end of World War II, Battipaglia started growing again, witnessing a big increase in population (mostly, people from the neighboring towns) and a significant development in the industrial sector. In 1969, due to the concrete possibility that two large plants of sugar and tobacco, both employing a large number of inhabitants, would close, about half of the city protested and gave life to a popular uprising, which would be calmed down after short time (thanks to the guarantee given by the government not to close the plants), eventually resulting in 2 victims. Since then, the town has managed to combine the agricultural sector (Bonduelle company has established one of its two plants in Italy here) to the technological (Battipaglia hosts a Prysmian plant). On May 8, 2013, the then-mayor of Battipaglia (Giovanni Santomauro) was notified of an ordinance for bid rigging, bribery and aggravated abuse of office for allegedly granting of public contracts (worth a total of € 5 million) to members of the Casalesi clan, which is the reason of his resignation and the dissolution of the parish council. On April 4, 2014, following investigations conducted by the Italian Ministry of the Interior, the parish council was officially disbanded due to severe interference of criminal organizations. The management was entrusted to a special committee composed of vice-prefects Gerardo Di Iorio and Ada Ferrara, and official Carlo Picone. Geography The municipality borders with Bellizzi, Eboli, Montecorvino Rovella, Olevano sul Tusciano and Pontecagnano Faiano. Its hamlets (frazioni) are Aversana, Santa Lucia Inferiore, Spineta, Belvedere, Taverna delle Rose, Serroni (Alto e Basso) and Rione Sant'Anna. Economy Most of the town's wealth is due to the industrial, craft, and agricultural sectors. In addition to Prysmian and Bonduelle, the most fruitful factories operate in different sectors: Sivam (animal husbandry), Metzeler (auto parts), Alcatel-Lucent (research center), Telerobot (electronic equipment), Nexans (electric cables), Crown (packaging in metal closures), Paif, Jcoplastic, and Deriblok (plastic). Several 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' because of its similarity to a female breast. 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. Media Il Battipagliese (press) Radio Castelluccio (radio) La Città di Salerno (press) Controcorrente (press) I Fatti (press) Il Giornale Della Libertà (press) Il Mattino-Salerno (press) Metropolis-Salerno (press) Nero su Bianco (press) L'Occhio di Salerno e provincia (press) Roma-Salerno (press) Sei TV (Television) Lo Spiffero (press) La Voce (press) Demographics As for population, Battipaglia is the third municipality of its province, after Salerno and Cava de' Tirreni. Literature L. Rocco Carbone, Battipaglia, 70 anni nella sua storia, Massa Editore 1999. See also A.S.D. Battipagliese References External links Media related to Battipaglia at Wikimedia Commons (Italian) Battipaglia official website