Aversa is a town in the Campania region of southern Italy, about 15 kilometres (9 mi) north of Naples. It is the centre of an agricultural district, the agro aversano, producing wine and cheese (famous for the typical buffalo mozzarella). Aversa is also the main seat of the faculties of Architecture and Engineering of the Seconda università degli studi di Napoli (Second University of Naples).

History

Aversa, which replaced the nearby city of Atella that had been laid waste during the Gothic Wars, was the first of the Norman territories in the Mediterranean. In 1030, the site was ceded to Rainulf Drengot, a cadet of the lords of Quarrel near Alençon in Normandy; he was invested as count by Duke Sergius IV of Naples and confirmed by Emperor Conrad II. By offering a generous principle of asylum for the persecuted, Rainulf enlarged the power and importance of his little borgo, which became the base from which the Normans forged a state in Sicily and Italy. The diplomacy of Robert Guiscard, who built the fortifications, led to the investiture of a bishop responsible to the Pope at Aversa, which was nominally territory of the Eastern Emperor. One of the first bishops was the Norman Guitmund (died c. 1090-95), a Benedictine monk, theologian, and opponent of Berengar of Tours.

The count of Aversa, Richard I, was one of the chief leaders in the struggle against the Papal forces which culminated in the Battle of Civitella del Fortore (1053) in Beneventan territory; even Pope Leo IX himself was captured at what turned into a rout in favour of the Normans. The astute Richard did not treat the pope as a prisoner, however, but escorted him back to Rome with full honours, a gesture that led to the conciliation of the Normans with the Church, the lifting of the ban of excommunication that had been laid upon Aversa.

After the Norman dynasty Aversa declined in importance: the Angevin kings of Naples came to Aversa mostly to hunt and hold court in the citadel, of which a few traces remain in via Roma in Aversa's historic centre. In particular Queen Joanna I chose Aversa for her preferred seat. There a group of nobles led by the pretender to the throne of Naples Charles of Durazzo. threw the prince consort Andrea I of Hungary from a window with a rope around his neck. His brother, king Louis I of Hungary, head of the house of Anjou, descended into Italy and at Aversa took his vengeance at a banquet of reconciliation, as Joanna escaped to Avignon.

The presence of the court also benefitted Aversa by the institution of the Real Casa dell'Annunziata (ca 1315) an orphanage and hospice that occupied a central place in Aversan public life.

Main sights

Aversa, the second in historic importance of the dioceses of Campania. is the "city of a hundred churches" in its extensive historic center. Amnong its monuments:

• The Romanesque Duomo, dedicated to Saint Paul, has a spectacular ambulatory and a majestic octagonal dome. Francesco Solimena's Madonna of the Gonfaloneand the Quattrocento painter Angiolillo Arcuccio's Martyrdom of St Sebastian are in the Duomo. The pre-Romanesque sculpture of St.George and the Dragon is one of the few surviving free-standing sculptures of its date. An outstanding collection of Baroque liturgical silver is kept in the Treasury.

• The Baroque Church of San Francesco delle Monache.

• The Ospedale Psichiatrico Santa Maria Maddalena founded by Joachim Murat in 1813 which was the oldest Judicial Psychiatric Hospital in Italy and the center of many accusations of abuse.

• The Real Casa dell'Annunziata.

• The Benedictine Abbey of San Lorenzo, founded in the 10th century, with a fine Renaissance cloister.

• The Church of Santa Maria a Piazza, founded in the 10th century, has frescoes of the school of Giotto.

• Other churches in the city conserve paintings by Guido da Siena, Polidoro da Caravaggio, Marco Pino da Siena, Pietro da Cortona, Pietro Negroni "il Giovane Zingaro", Giuseppe Ribera, Cornelius Smeet, Abram Vink, Teodoro d'Errico, Francesco de Mura, Massimo Stanzione, and Paolo de Majo.

• The Historic Former Railway station (Stazione Ferrovia Napoli Piedimonte D'Alife)of a long closed 1913 railway

• The Historic Aragonese Castle which now houses the Italian Penitentiary Police (Italys Correction Officers) training facility

Transportation

Aversa has a major station on the Rome-Naples line which runns through Formia. Most of the traffic is held by Trenitalia, although some trains run under the aegis of MetroCampania NordEst (former Ferrovia Alifana).

The nearest airport is that of Napoli-Capodichino, 10 km (6 mi) afar.

Aversa is connected to the A1 Motorway by the SP 335-VI Provincial Road (former SS 265 State Road) and the SS 7 bis. Public bus transport is responsibility of the CTP (Compagnia Trasporti Pubblici Napoli).

Famous people

• Vincenzo Caianiello, jurist

• Domenico Cimarosa, opera composer

• Carmelina Fedele, record holder for largest baby born by a healthy mother

• Niccolò Jommelli, classical composer

• Antonio Ruberti, politician and engineer

• Lennie Tristano, jazz pianist and composer

• Alessandro Verde, Roman Catholic cardinal