The Documented History Of The Italian Village Maiori, Italy
Today’s article will discuss the history of Maiori, Italy. Maiori is a small town along the Amalfi coastline, in the province of Salerno. It is famous for its large lemon production, as well as its incredibly old chapels. It is an inexpensive resort town & has been since the roman times. 2 anonymous sponsors decided to graciously donate us money in order to go to Maiori & conduct various experiments. During the 5th of September, we will publish an article on the various experiments we conducted & research data we collected. These articles will be published under our newest newsletter, which is named “The Persaud Catalogue: Scientific Journal of Marine Biology”. This will be the first publication under that newsletter. Maiori is also wonderfully inexpensive so this makes it a day trip destination. It is also possible one of the best places to go marine-creature watching in the province of Salerno. It has a rich history that ties in to a twin town that is nearby, known as Minori. Maiori has the longest stretch of unbroken coastline along the entire Amalfi coast, which makes it a prime location for both coastal & marine life. Maiori is also famous for their delightful various scuba diving tours. The town currently has a bustling coastline in that many marine creatures will choose to live along it. Maiori has been a tourist town since the times when romans ruled Italy. Maiori has also served many functional purposes as a town since it became a recognized township. One of the main purposes it held is the production of lemons, which are used to make the staple alcoholic drink known as limoncello. Maiori has existed since at minimum 596 century A.D, meaning it has existed longer then the Mongul empire. That is the earliest proven record of Maiori, however some evidence suggests it may be older. The Mongul empire existed for approximately 162 years, while Maiori existed for at least 1,427 years, possibly longer. This means that Maiori has existed for approximately 9 times that of the Mongul empire. In this article, we will discuss the documented History of Maiori, the aboriginals of Maiori, the most destructive man-caused & natural disasters to ever effect Maiori, & finally the economic state of Maiori, Italy. With that being said, let us delve into the land of lemon trees.
The Documented History Of The Italian Village Maiori, Italy
As a disclaimer, extremely little is known about the history of Maiori.
Before Colonization By The Unified Romans
Maiori’s exact origins are unknown. The village was most likely founded by the Etruscans. It is also unknown when exactly when Maiori was founded, however it seems to have existed since the 1st century A.D. This has been seen in that a villa nearby was discovered nearby Maiori, this villa was found to date back to the 1st century. This was also evidence that Maiori was used as a tourist town by the Etruscans. Unfortunately the historical villa from the 1st century A.D no longer exists. They originally called Maiori either “Cossa” or “Bossa”. Also Maiori & Minori are the only 2 Etruscan settlement’s found in Campania. In the 3rd Century A.D, it was conquered by the Romans. They named Maiori “Rheginna Maior” & the neighbouring town of Minori “Rheginna Minor”.
After Colonization By The Imperial Romans
The 500’s
One of Maiori’s earliest documentations after Roman invasion, is that of the Catholic Temple called “Santuario Santa Maria a Mare”. It is called the Sanctuary of Santa Maria in English. This Catholic temple was built in 596, it is still operational today.
The 600’s
It is unknown what happened during this century.
The 700’s
It is unknown what happened during this century.
The 800’s
Between the years of 830 & 840, the small Italian towns of Lettere, Tramonti, Cetera, & Positano as well as the isle of Capri, formed the Duchy of Amalfi (Republic of Amalfi). This Duchy functioned as an independent state even though it officially was not one. Each city retained their own personal autonomy & their names. When Maiori was united into this, it became the head of the republics admiralty, the head of the customs in the republic, & the lead city in the salt market. Even after the Amalfian Republic fell, Maiori remained a major port & their shipyards still remained in active operation.
The 900’s
It is unknown what happened in this century.
The 1000’s
During the beginning of the century, the Duchy of Amalfi was incorporated into the Kingdom of Naples.
The Events Of 1100’s
There were no major events that took place in Maiori during this century.
The Events Of 1200’s
There were no major events that took place in Maiori during this century.
The Events Of 1300’s
There was a violent tsunami during the year of 1343. There was also a plague in Maiori in the same year, as well as many pirate sieges, & horrible floods. This caused Maiori to fall into a decline.
The Events Of 1400’s
There were no major events that took place in Maiori during this century.
The Events Of 1500’s
There were no major events that took place in Maiori during this century.
The Events Of 1600’s
There were no major events that took place in Maiori during this century.
The Events Of 1700’s
There were no major events that took place in Maiori during this century.
The Events Of 1800’s
It remained incorporated in Kingdom of Naples until the completion of Italian unification in the year 1871.
The Events Of 1900’s
From the 1946 to 1954 Maiori appeared in multiple romance films made by the famed Italian film maker Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini.
The Aboriginals Of Maiori, Italy
The Etruscans Of Etruria
The origins of the Etruscans has been widely debated. It is unclear whether or not they were indigenous to Italy or if they were migrants from modern day Turkey. For this reason, we cannot say that they were the first people in Maiori. They did build a civilization in central Italy, but they only built / found Maiori much later in their civilization. Also, the Campanian’s could have built Maiori & then abandoned it. The Campanians were significantly closer so this is a possibility. Generally, it is unknown who were the original inhabitants of Maiori of not.
The Most Destructive Man-Caused & Natural Disasters To Affect Maiori, Italy
No. 1: The Vietri-Maiori Landslide Of 1954
On the 25th of October 1954, a massive storm hit the village of Vietri sul Mare & Maiori. This storm caused 300 deaths in total. It also caused major landslides, which temporarily wrecked the economy of both towns, as well as destroying many historical sites. It destroyed many homes as well, which temporarily displaced many Maioriese residents. Since the majority of Maiori at this point was built upon a hill, the storm caused more damage then it should have. This landslide was the main cause for Maiori not having as many historical buildings as Minori. It also caused major soil erosion & other issues with soil fertility, so it the agricultural sector of Maiori temporarily became screwed up.
The Economic State Of Maiori, Italy
Maiori’s economy is growing steadily, yet slowly. Maiori exports many lemons so that is their main crop in the agricultural sector. They also receive fair share of tourism, for both their historical value & their beautiful beach. It has also been shown in many different films so this adds to their popularity. This also helps make the town seem more appealing, especially since it has been shown in romance films. The town holds a film festival in November each year, in which the Premio Internazionale Roberto Rossellini is rewarded. This festival helps to attract lots of tourism, which turn gives the commune an economic boost. Maiori uses the European Euro, the same as the rest of Italy.
Directories / Credits
//www.summerinitaly.com › m...Maiori - Towns in Amalfi Coast
https://www.italyheritage.com/regions/campania/salerno/maiori.htm
Francesco Fiorillo, Luigi Guerriero, Lello Capobianco, Mauro Pagnozzi, Paola Revellino, Filippo Russo & Francesco M. Guadagno (2019) Inventory of Vietri-Maiori landslides induced by the storm of October 1954 (southern Italy), Journal of Maps, 15:2, 530-537, DOI: 10.1080/17445647.2019.1626777
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