The Campania inner areas were conquered by the Lucanians during the 5th century BC. They founded the prosperous and democratic Lucania. Between the 4th and the 3rd century BC the Romans arrived. They made these lands more and more prosperous and thriving, until the downfall of the Western Roman Empire. Did you know that the famous eruption of the Vesuvius in 79 AD was under the Roman dominion?
During the Middle Ages the Byzantines, the Lombards and the Normans came here; moreover, the Ducato di Benevento (Dukedom of Benevento) and the Principati (Princedoms) of Capua and Salerno were established.
During the 13th century the Angevins founded the Regno di Napoli (Kingdom of Napoli) that was later conquered by the Aragonese monarchs. In this period the Campania region developed both economically and culturally as much as under the Roman dominion. During the 16th century Spain conquered the Regno di Napoli; nowadays, we can still notice the remains of the ancient domination, especially in Napoli.
In 1816 the Regno delle Due Sicilie (Two Sicilies Reign) was founded. The Bourbons monarchs brought culture, prosperity and trade. Suffice to say, the first Italian railway, the teatro San Carlo (San Carlo Theatre), the Reggia di Caserta (Caserta’s Palace) and the seteria di San Leucio (San Leucio silk factory) were built. The Bourbons Reign ended with the Unification of Italy.
Today, the Campania region is a puzzle with millions of pieces, different dominions that tried to conquer a piece of Campania Felix through the centuries.
