Polvica
Introduction
Hello! Today we will talk about the Polvica di Nola fraction and its fascinating history. Polvica borders the homonymous fraction of the municipality of San Felice a Cancello (CE) and a part of the municipality of Acerra (Pezzalunga (Acerra) fraction) and is located 8.2 kilometers from the capital at an altitude of 31 m.
History
In recent times, local administrations have focused heavily on the revival of the fraction, which has been equipped with numerous services. The patron saint is Vincenzo Ferreri. The agricultural vocation has been accompanied, in recent decades, by the development of the tertiary sector, represented by numerous realities such as the Centro Ingrosso Sviluppo (Italy's largest wholesale shopping center), the Interporto Campano (with customs for goods), Alenia Aeronautica (where parts of the A380 are assembled), the "Vulcano Buono" shopping mall (designed by Renzo Piano, one of the largest in Europe), ASI and Italo-Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (where products are still manufactured and subjected to initial tests).
Origin of the name
But where does the name Polvica come from? The Cantine di Polvera, from Spanish, define it as a "container of fine powder," like talcum powder, in our case "a bag of powder."
The limestone quarry
But the town of Polvica is also famous for the presence of the limestone quarry, the limekiln, whose ruins are barely emerging from the vegetation in the Sant'Agostino Valley on Monte Palombara (Polvica di San Felice a Cancello (CE)), evoking past eras when lime was produced in such rustic structures. Limestone rocks, of which our mountains are mainly composed, were used. The chemical reaction that occurred inside the furnace, at very high temperatures, led to the formation of carbon dioxide, which dispersed into the atmosphere, and of calcium oxide, commonly called "quicklime". This was later worked and transformed into slaked lime to obtain mortar.
The usefulness of the limestone quarry
The limestone quarry highlights a type of life and economy long forgotten in our industrialized era. For days on end, a strong fire was kept burning in the quarry, producing calcination - the firing of the rocks - and for this purpose, huge amounts of wood were burned. In this way, in addition to producing something as essential as lime, the forest was kept clean and immune to fires, using all the undergrowth and easy-to-light dry wood to feed the furnace. The quarry had a circular shape that often exploited the concavity of the mountain flanks, leaning the thick masonry against it. Blocks of stone extracted from nearby mountains were arranged circularly and inside the furnace, which was covered with a dome and internally covered with magnesic lime plaster. This place is still called "la Carcara," where the remains are still visible. Lime production has always been part of our Mediterranean landscape, think of the typical white-painted houses.
Conclusion
As you have seen, Polvica di Nola is truly an interesting place. Its history concerns the agricultural vocation, but also the development of the tertiary sector and the presence of the limestone quarry. With local administrations working to revive the fraction, Polvica can truly have a promising future.
