Battipaglia


Battipaglia is a town and a comune in the province of Salerno, in the Campania region of south-western Italy.
The third most populous of its province, the municipality is renowned for the production of buffalo mozzarella as well as for the varied agricultural crops, which make it one of the most fruitful territories of the Sele plain.

History

Formerly part of the ancient Greek colonies of the Magna Graecia, the municipal area, like most of the southern Tyrrhenian coast, was the site of strategic settlements during the late Republican-early Imperial Roman times. Archaeological excavations have brought to light several finds probably dating back to as early as the 3rd century BC, belonging 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 one, conversely, was positioned internally and probably served as a productive belt between cereal crops in the plain, and olive crops and vineyards up on the hill.
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 be formed by the union of the terms batti and paglia, owing to the activity of peasants in the past. However, some scholars hypothesize that the name could come from Baptipalla, which would indicate a place devoted to Voltumna, a chthonic Etruscan deity.
Battipaglia as a definite townishp was officially created by Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies, 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 28 March 1929, comprising parts of the territories previously included in the municipalities of Eboli and Montecorvino Rovella.
In 1943, during World War II, the town was heavily bombed by U.S. planes, resulting in 117 civilian casualties. Although most of the town had been razed to the ground, in the aftermath of the conflict Battipaglia would be rebuilt remarkably quickly, even attracting migrants from the hinterland seeking work. The town therefore experienced an outstanding increase in population between 1951 and 1960, turning into a dynamic industrial area.
In 1953, Battipaglia went under the spotlight of national and international media when its socialist mayor, Lorenzo Rago, was kidnapped and never found again, in spite of numerous searches by the police.
In 1969, due to the concrete possibility that two large plants of sugar and tobacco — both employing a significant number of locals — would close, about half of the city gave life to a popular uprising, which would be calmed down few days later following the Italian government's commitment to keep them active. 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.
Since the late 20th and early 21st century, the agricultural sector — since the area is particularly known nationally for its flourishing dairy sector — has been joined by the industrial one, several companies having established factories in the city.

Geography

The municipality borders with Bellizzi, Eboli, Montecorvino Rovella, Olevano sul Tusciano and Pontecagnano Faiano. Its hamlets are Aversana, Santa Lucia Inferiore and Spineta. The town also includes the surrounding neighborhoods of Sant'Anna, Serroni and Taverna delle Rose.

Demographics


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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, 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 Europeans and northern Africans expats.

Economy

Most of the town's wealth is due to the industrial, craft, and agricultural sectors.
A large number of local dairy companies produce the well-known local buffalo mozzarella, a famous form of which is called zizzona di Battipaglia because of its similarity to a female breast.
In addition to that, Battipaglia is a production area of Carciofo di Paestum IGP, annurca IGP, and tomato Fiaschello.
Among the most significant companies which established factories in Battipaglia are: Bonduelle, Prysmian, Sivam, Cooper Standard Automotive, Nexans, Crown, Deriblok, and Jcoplastic .

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. 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.

Education

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