Santa Maria la Fossa
Santa Maria la Fossa: the town of Buffalo Mozzarella from Campania
Hello everyone! Today I want to talk to you about Santa Maria la Fossa, a lovely town in the province of Caserta, in Campania. With its 2539 inhabitants, Santa Maria la Fossa is one of the places of origin of Buffalo Mozzarella from Campania, one of the most famous and appreciated products of the territory.
But the history of this small town is much older than the production of mozzarella. Come with me to discover its history, made of ancient rose cultivation, Romanesque-Longobard churches and violent clashes during the Second World War.
History of Santa Maria la Fossa
Santa Maria la Fossa, or "Fossa" as it was initially called, was founded around the year one thousand as a hamlet of Capua and reached its maximum development during the Longobard period. However, its history is much older and was mentioned by Livy with the name "Fossa Graeca" for its rose cultivations.
The city took the name of Santa Maria Minore known as "fossa" after the construction of a Romanesque-Longobard church dedicated to the Madonna. The feud of Santa Maria la Fossa belonged first to Riccardo Filangieri and then passed to Guglielmo Stendardo by order of Charles I of Anjou.
During the Second World War, Santa Maria la Fossa was the epicentre of bloody clashes between German and American forces. The town was mined, numerous houses were set on fire and bombings destroyed much of the settlement and the Grazzanise military airport.
But not everything was destroyed: the church dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin was only partially damaged and the bell tower was later rebuilt.
Santa Maria la Fossa today
After the end of the war, the reconstruction of the settlement began and the agro-zootechnical company Cirio was established in the locality "Balzana". In the early nineties, however, Cirio went bankrupt and the management passed to the industrialist Dante Passarelli, considered by the judiciary to be linked to the Casalesi Camorra clan.
Despite the difficulties, Santa Maria la Fossa is today a jewel of Campania, famous for the production of high-quality Buffalo Mozzarella from Campania.
Conclusions
Here it is, this is the story of Santa Maria la Fossa. A town that has experienced changes, struggles and difficulties, but has been able to rise again thanks to the strength of its inhabitants and the passion for the products of the territory.
If you love good food, I recommend you to come and taste the Buffalo Mozzarella from Campania: it will be worth it, I assure you!
