Madrelingua Italiana

Campania is a region in Southern Italy, which was colonised by Ancient Greeks and was part of Magna Græcia. During the Roman era, the area maintained a Greco-Roman culture. The capital city of Campania is Naples and together with the provinces of Avellino, Benevento, Caserta and Salerno form the backbone of Campania; administratively, the islands of Capri, Ischia, Procida (province of Naples) depend on the region. For the Romans, the coastal strip, with its mild climate, welcoming ports and mostly flat and very fertile lands, was the region of wealth and happiness. The name of Campania itself is derived from Latin, as the Romans knew the region as Campania felix, which translates into English as "fertile countryside". In Campania the limestone rocks prevail everywhere, with showy karst phenomena and an accentuated underground hydrography. In the mainland, particularly famous are the caves such as the "Grotta dello Smeraldo" near Amalfi. In the islands, "la Grotta Azzurra", on the island of Capri is a must see destination. The coasts of Campania develop for about 360 km. On them, there are four gulfs, each separated by a rocky promontory. The first to the north is the gulf of Gaeta, followed by the gulf of Naples - one of the most picturesque and famous in the world - dominated by the bulk of Vesuvius and bordered to the south by the famous, montanious and elongated Sorrento peninsula. Further south the Amalfi coast, on the southern side of the Sorrento peninsula, is found the wide Gulf of Salerno with its famous tourist resorts (Amalfi, Positano, Maiori etc.). Finally, after the steep stretch where the Cilento massif reaches the Tyrrhenian Sea (and where Capo Palinuro extends), the Gulf of Policastro opens up. The region is also particularly known for its volcanic systems whose previous eruptions built, with ashes, sand and lapilli, a good part of the Campania plain. Some volcanoes can be considered extinct, such as Roccamonfina (1005 m / 3297 ft), near the border with Lazio. The Campi Flegrei area - a vast section located around the Gulf of Pozzuoli, west of Naples and also on the island of Ischia - is instead characterized by multiple manifestations of secondary volcanism, such as emissions of water vapor, fumaroles, etc. Finally, the Vesuvius is, next to the Etna, the only other active volcano in continental Europe. Rich in natural beauties, including rare botanical species, Campania is gaining greater protection since 1991, when the National Park of Vesuvius and the National Park of Cilento and Vallo di Diano were established. There are also some oasis of protection or observation of the fauna, generally created by environmental organizations (Roccamonfina Natural Park and the mouth of the Garigliano, Natural Park of Campi Flegrei). Campania is among the Italian regions that most participate in the production of national agricultural income, not to mention the goodness of olive oil and wines D.O.C. Campania is rich in culture, especially with regard to gastronomy, music, architecture, archeological and ancient sites such as Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum and Velia. The rich natural sights of Campania make it highly important in the tourism industry, particularly along the Amalfi Coast, with its superlative Mount Vesuvius and the islands of Capri and Ischia.