Campora is a small mountain town, in the area called Alto Calore. It is crossed by Torno e Trenico Streams and characterised by woods of oaks, ilexes, chestnut groves, Turkey oaks. The territory is part of Parco Nazionale del Cilento.
Campora is between 380 and 900 m above the sea-level. Its woods are among the largest of the province of Salerno, the landscape is very charming thanks to the presence of “white-pink” rocks. The Monagna wood is made of forest trees, especially Turkey oaks; Mangini wood is made of chestnut groves and alders, that of Tempa Piana of pines. There are foxes and wild boars. The territory is rich of water: stream and small hill lakes. Campora is the right place for mushroom hunters (ovules, porcini, chanterelles, etc.).
An interesting event is the Sagra dello sparo al prosciutto in April: people try to hit with only a shot a ham that is 72 m far. Almost two centuries ago, some friends from Campora decided to bet a ham hitting it with a gun. The first who hit the bone, would have won the ham.
San Nicola, the Patron, church is very interesting, it was built in 1660. It has only a nave and keeps precious statues of Saint Nicholas, Our Lady of the Snow, the Immaculate and the Crucifix. The bell tower is actually beautiful, inside there is a fresco portraying Saint Nicholas of Bari.
Monuments and natural beauties...
- San Nicola, the Patron, church, built in 1660. It has only a nave and keeps precious statues of Saint Nicholas, Our Lady of the Snow, the Immaculate and the Crucifix. The bell tower is actually beautiful, inside there is a fresco portraying Saint Nicholas of Bari
Madonna della neve Church, built in 1779. There are beautiful frescoes. Outside there is a small stoup
Annunziata Church, of 1700
Trenico Valley, attainable by feet or horses
History...
Campora was mentioned in a document of XIV century as “In Campora”. The name comes from the Latin campus that means “plain place” and “agricultural land”. For century Campora was the place that controlled the important road between Vallo della Lucania and Vallo di Diano.
Campora was first mentioned in 1131 in a document in which there was written that the Norman king Ruggiero II gave to the friars of Grottaferrata the Grancia di Sant’Arcangelo tower. This document also states that this territory had been given to those friars in XI century by Guiscardo V, the Longobard prince of Salerno.
The town developed at the end of X century and at the beginning of XI century around San Giorgio di Campora monastery. Federico II, in an act of 1220, decided that Campora inhabitants had to participate with those of the near hamlets to the maintenance of Laurino castle. In 1269, Carlo I d’Angiò gave Castrum campore to Mathe de Alena and then to Simone Bois.
In 1453 King Alfonso gave Campora to Alfonso della Gonesse, but he participated in 1486 to a conspiracy by Antonello de Petruciis, prime minister of king Ferrante, so the feud passed to Carlo Carafa marquis of Montesarchio that lost it for a betrayal. The feud passed then to Sanseverino di Caiazzo family and its story was linked to that of Albanella feud until 1532. In that year Alfonso Avalos d’Aquino, marquis of Vasto became ruler of Campora.
In XVII century the feud belonged to Troilo and then Macedonio families. Campora lived the terrible plague of 1656 that killed a large part of the population. In 1756 Scipione Loffredo became the marquis of Campora, Loffredo family ruled Campora for the whole century. During XIX and XX century population decreased because of a terrible agrarian crisis.
Campora adhered to the Neapolitan revolution of 1799 and built the Freedom tree. In 1821 Campora, as in the other parts of Cilento, farmers occupied the lands and in 1823 there was a rebellion against Bourbon abuses. A patriot, Giovanni Trotta, the mayor of the town led the rebellion of his citizens showing a great courage. Many opponents were imprisoned and brought to Salerno jail. The most important protagonist of these rebellions was the capuchin friar Giuseppe da Campora, who led the rebellion of Vallo district in 1848. He founded Società Operaia di Mutuo Soccorso. But he was shot on the 23rd of June, 1843 by Giuseppe Tardio, the leader of brigands.
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