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Regions in Italy : Region Campania : Province Salerno: Camerota

Camerota

Province of Salerno, Region Campania (Kampanien), Italy

A little distance from a wonderful seaside, in the middle of an uncontaminated nature, among hills covered of century-old olive trees, is better known for its Marina, once a small hamlet of fishermen, today a flourishing summer resort with a tourist harbor, and a wealth of hotels, residences and campsites. The town itself has a long tradition of music, and its band has been known and appreciated for centuries.

INFO: Altitude: 322 m a.s.l -- Population: about7200 inhabitants -- Zip/postal code: 84040 (capoluogo), 84050 (Lentiscosa e Licusati), 84059 (Marina di Camerota) -- Phone Area Code: 0974 -- Frazioni & Località: Lentiscosa, Licusati, Marina di Camerota
HISTORY: The origin of Camerota is hidden in the mist of time. The legend says that Palinuro, Aeneas' helmsman, met along this coast a beautiful sea nymph, Kamaratòn, and fell in love with her. She did not return his love, and he followed her down into the sea, drowning. Goddess Venus punished the nymph turning her into a rock - where the town rises - so that she would forever stare at the point where the unfortunate lover had lost his life.
Archelogical findings show that there was a Greek settlement in the area in the 6th century BC, but the only historical certainty is that in the 6th century AD a castle rose on the rock, which was later repeatedely sacked by Saracen pirates. In July 1552 the Turkish fleet led by admiral Rais Dragut Bessà sacked the town, killing over 400 civilians. After that the walls were rebuilt and strengthened, and more sighting towers were built. In the course of the centuries Camerota was under a number of lords: the Sanseverino, Di Sangro, Marchese and Orsini.

WHAT TO SEE
In a grotto at Lentiscella beach, the legendary sailing vessel Leone di Caprera, that in 1880 set off from Montevideo, Uruguay, and in 110 days covered 6,500 miles on the Atlantic route Montevideo, Las Palmas, Gibilterra, Malaga to reach the island of Caprera, where Giuseppe Garibaldi lived his last years in exile. Their mission: donate to the old general a golden sword and book of signatures of the Italians in Uruguay, where Garibaldi was the commander of the fleet and Italian legion in the years 1842-1848. Of the 3 Italians that sailed from Montevideo, Vincenzo Fondacaro of Calabria, Orlando Grassoni from Ancona and Pietro Troccoli from Marina di Camerota, only the last reached Caprera and met Garibaldi, who was to die shortly afterwards. Actually the last part of the voyage for the vessel and the crew members took place on an English steamship directed to Leghorn that had rescued the Leone after one of many sea disasters.

Map of Camerota:
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