Salerno

Salerno is the principal town of the province with the same name, and has around 128,000 inhabitants (2021). For a brief period (February to August 1944) Salerno was the capital city of Italy, during the liberation after the allied landings before the fall of Monte Cassino to the allies and the subsequent liberation of Rome . Salerno was the birthplace of the "Schola Medica Salernitana" in the 9th century, which was the most important source of medical information in Europe at the time, and provided an important impulse to medical learning in Europe. The port area is not particularly attractive, but once you get onto the promenade things get better. Worth a visit if you happen to be in the area are Vietri sul Mare, for the traditional ceramics, Cava de' Tirreni for the important Abbey at La Badia and one of the few remaining Portici in Campania . Local information Salerno city council website

Salerno is a major rail hub on the line linking Naples with Reggio Calabria, and is the gateway by SITA bus and seasonal ferry to the Amalfi Coast. Naples' international airport is roughly an hour away by road or rail.

The historic center and seafront (Lungomare Trieste) are walkable; city buses connect outlying areas including the Castello di Arechi on its hilltop above the city.

The Duomo di Salerno (Cathedral of San Matteo), founded in the 11th century under Robert Guiscard, houses the relics of the apostle Matthew and is the city's principal monument. The Castello di Arechi, a medieval fortress on the hill above the city with panoramic views, and the Giardino della Minerva, a terraced botanical garden tracing its origins to the medieval Schola Medica Salernitana (Europe's earliest and most important medieval medical school), are also notable. The seafront Lungomare Trieste promenade is Salerno's main public space.

Walking the historic center and Lungomare Trieste, visiting the Duomo and Castello di Arechi, and — in winter — touring the Luci d'Artista light installations are the main activities.

Vietri sul Mare, known for its ceramics, and Cava de' Tirreni, with its Badia della Santissima Trinità abbey, are both close by. Salerno is also the main gateway to the Amalfi Coast and the Cilento coast further south.