San Vitaliano
Discovering San Vitaliano: a place full of history and legends
If you're looking for a place steeped in history, San Vitaliano might be the perfect destination for you. This Campanian town, which has a population of around 6418, is part of the metropolitan city of Naples and is located in the orographic area between Mount Somma-Vesuvius and the hilly-mountainous arc that starts from Cancello and continues to Monte Fellino. It borders the municipalities of Nola, Marigliano, Scisciano, and Saviano.
The geography of the territory
One of the main distinctive features of the municipal territory are the Regi Lagni, a network of canals built in the first half of the 17th century, during the Spanish Domination in Italy, with the Viceroy of Naples Pedro Fernández de Castro. These canals cross the countryside between the Mariglianese and Nolano territories and are an important water resource for the area. San Vitaliano is part of the Nolano agro territory and is a place that, despite being relatively small, has a lot to offer to those who want to know the history of the places.
The history of San Vitaliano
The district where San Vitaliano now stands belonged in the past to Opicia, an area inhabited by the Ausoni Osci and Opici already in 1750 BC. The Greeks of Cumae also arrived here later, passing through what was first the via Adrianea, then the Strada Regia delle Puglie, and in more recent times, the via Nazionale delle Puglie, passing through San Vitaliano itself. Several districts were built along this ancient road, including Licinianum, Pomilianum, Cisternae, Brixianum, Marianellae, Marilianum, and Palmula, the first cell of the Casale di San Vitaliano.
The history of the town of San Vitaliano is linked to that of Marigliano, of which it was a hamlet, and to the various sales and purchases of the Mariglianese fief and adjacent hamlets. Several documents testify to the existence of a certain De Angerio, who lived in the Casale di San Vitagliano, in the vicinity of Marigliano, as early as 1275. The Casale di San Vitaliano, together with that of Frascatoli, always belonged to the fief of Marigliano and followed its fortunes until 1806, when, with the law for the abolition of feudalism by Giuseppe Bonaparte, the municipalities began to claim their feudal properties. After Marigliano, Cisterna, and Brusciano, even the municipality of San Vitagliano asked for the reinstatement of its lands in 1809.
The legend of San Vitaliano
But San Vitaliano is also a place of legends, such as the one linked to the Patron Saint who made it famous over the centuries. Vitaliano da Capua, bishop of Capua, around 720 AD was on his way to the Montevergine Sanctuary to pray but fell ill before reaching Nola and had to stop in San Vitaliano, formerly called Palmula for its small size. The Bishop thanked the few peasants who lived in those lands for taking care of him, and they told him of their perplexity, as it hadn't rained for a long time and there was a threat of a long drought that was making every crop wither. The bishop reassured them, saying that rain would soon come, and after a day it did. From then on, the small town will be called ''San Vitaliano'' in honor of the bishop.
Conclusions
San Vitaliano is a place of unique charm, capable of offering both glimpses of ancient history and timeless legends. If you're looking for a destination for a day trip, don't hesitate to visit this Campanian town and be enchanted by its beauty and millennia-old stories.
