| Conca dei Marini | ||
 | ||
| State | Italy | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Campania | |
| Altitude | 400 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 1.13 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 724 (2012) | |
| Name inhabitants | Conchesi | |
| Prefix tel | 39 089 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 84010 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
| Patron | St. Anthony of Padua (June 13) and St. John the Baptist (June 24) | |
Position
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| Institutional website | ||
Conca dei Marini is a city of Campania in the province of Salerno.
To know
It is part of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
It owes its name to the specific geographic conformation in the shape of a basin, with the addition of the name of Marini to emphasize the proximity to the sea and the ancient role played by the sailors who lived there, once very numerous and experts in navigation techniques, so that the country is also defined city of sailors.
When to go
On the basis of the thirty-year average of reference 1961-1990, the average temperature of the coldest month, January, is 10.7 ° C; that of the hottest month, August, is 26.8 ° C.
Average annual rainfall has a summer minimum, a peak in autumn-winter and a secondary maximum in spring.
Background
The origins of Conca dei Marini are rather uncertain; it is believed that it was founded by the Tyrrhenians with the name of Cossa and, given the steep and irregular conformation of the hinterland, the first inhabitants immediately devoted themselves to maritime activities. In 272 BC (481 ab Urbe condita) was conquered by the Romans, who transformed it into a colony; the small seaside village provided them with a conspicuous contribution during the second Punic war, and then rebelled against it during the social war of the 1st century BC.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Conca became a support base for the nearby Maritime Republic of Amalfi, thus maintaining commercial relations with the other peoples of the Mediterranean and further increasing his skill in the seafaring field, since he began to have 27 large galleons as evidenced by the chronicles of the time. Following the capitulation of the Amalfi republic in the 11th century, the town experienced a momentary period of crisis, which it then overcame under the domination of the Swabians and Angevins, during which maritime trade resumed with greater vigor. In 1275 it was a fiefdom, as well as other lands and cities in Amalfi Coast in that period, immediately after the advent of the Angevins, but the name of its lords is not known and, in any case, this situation did not last long. In the modern age, under the domination of the Aragonese, the Habsburgs and the Bourbons, commercial exchanges expanded, thus allowing various Conchesi leaders to enrich themselves and be able to rise socially. The main ports where they landed were those of Venice, Trieste, Constantinople is Smyrna and later also Odessa. In those years, however, the pirate activities of the gods began Turks, which not only threatened merchant ships, but also attacked and plundered the coastal towns. In June 1543 5 Turkish convicts landed at the Capo di Conca and sacked the whole town, desecrating and stripping of all its furnishings the church of San Pancrazio martyr, which remained closed and forbidden for several years. Another hard blow for the Conchesi was the scourge of the plague that hit it mainly in the years 1528 and 1556.
Despite the unstoppable decline, its port was still frequented by merchant ships until the mid-nineteenth century and the trap, the only one on the Amalfi Coast, created around 1700, survived until 1956. In 1861, after the expulsion of the Bourbons of Naples, Conca dei Marini passed to the Kingdom ofItaly. In the fascist period, with the royal decree n. 2202 of February 6, 1928, the town of Furore was united in Conca, but at the end of the Second World War the two municipalities became separated again. Currently the main economic resource of the country is constituted by mass tourism; then followed (albeit to a lesser extent than in the past) fishing and agriculture, characterized above all by the cultivation of lemons and cherry tomatoes "del pendolo" (in Neapolitan "d '' or piennolo").
How to orient yourself
Conca dei Marini: full screen map.
Neighborhoods
Marina di Conca it is a small bay surrounded by numerous white houses and represents the main bathing establishment in the town, as well as the port where the boats of local fishermen still dock. In very ancient times it was precisely in this bay that all the activities of the town were concentrated, from fishing with the trap to maritime traffic; in addition, there was the custom here, starting from the seventeenth century, to publicly elect the mayor in the month of August. Inside there is a lovely chapel dedicated to the Madonna della Neve, where a solemn feast is celebrated on 5 August with a procession by sea. The chapel, of ancient origin, was built specifically in the Marina to allow sailors and visitors to reach it with considerable ease. There is venerated a high-relief depicting the Madonna with Child, coming from the East as the inscription that bears in the lower part in Cyrillic Greek suggests.
Furthermore, the Marina di Conca became famous between the sixties and the seventies for having hosted many famous people, among which Gianni Agnelli, Princess Margaret d 'England and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (who in 1962, returning from a visit to Ravello, stopped there for a bath).
In May 1996 the area was hit by a large landslide, due to the detachment of the rocky walls behind it; it did not cause victims, but destroyed some buildings located near the Marina and made the beach unusable for six years. In 2003, however, it was reported by Legambiente among the 11 best beaches inItaly.
How to get
By car
- Strada Statale 163 Amalfitana.
- Regional Road 366 (of Agerola) Graft SS 163 up to the border of the province.
- Provincial Road 160 Santa Rosa-Olmo of Conca dei Marini.
How to get around
What see
- Torre del Capo di Conca. The Torre del Capo di Conca, also known as Torre Saracena or Torre Bianca, is an ancient sixteenth-century watchtower that stands on the promontory called Capo di Conca. It was built by the viceroy of Naples Pedro de Toledo, in defense of the territory against the invasions of the Turks. It was decided to erect it on a square plan rather than on a circular plan, since, from Charles V onwards, the resistance of the circular towers, widely used in the past, was questioned. The tower consists of a single large room, above which there are two small rooms reserved for the guards. After the defeat of the Turks a Lepanto the tower, like many others, lost its importance and was abandoned to its fate and used for cemetery purposes due to low mortality. This did not change its charm: in fact it is said that two American ladies, who were fascinated by the place, knelt and prayed to God to be buried there. The tower was intended for this use until 1949, until it was restored by the municipal administration which owns it and used as a museum.
- 1 Emerald Grotto (Accessible both by sea and from the SS 163, from which you can descend via an elevator). Karst cavity partially invaded by the sea. It owes its name to the emerald hues that the water takes on due to the sunlight filtered through an underwater crack that connects it to the open sea. In very ancient times it was placed above the sea level and inside it, over time, numerous stalactites and stalagmites have been created, which in some places unite to form mighty columns more than ten meters high; only as a result of a phenomenon of bradyseism, the ground of the cave has lowered, causing it to sink under water.
- Church of San Giovanni Battista. The church that goes under the parish title of San Giovanni Battista, also known as the Church of Sant'Antonio di Padova (official patron of Conca dei Marini since December 26, 1694), is a religious building of remote foundation, whose origins are unknown. .
- The church of San Giovanni Battista stands on a high cliff and dominates the entire body of water of the basin and serves the faithful of the Penne district. The church is characterized by a bell tower with a spire vault covered with majolica tiles and a Baroque facade, which presents an image of St. Anthony accompanied by the Latin phrase PROTEGAM CIVITATEM ISTAM ("I will protect this city") added in the 1909 restoration. The building was restored for the second time in 1990, due to the Irpinia earthquake of November 1980.
- Monumental complex of the Church of Santa Maria di Grado and the Conservatory of Santa Rosa da Lima. The complex is made up of two parts: on the left side there is the church dedicated to Santa Maria di Grado, while on the right there is the Conservatory of Santa Rosa da Lima, a former monastery of Dominican nuns.
- Church of San Pancrazio martyr. As for the previous church, there are no official sources that attest to the exact time of the foundation of the church dedicated to San Pancrazio martyr. The oldest historical document that mentions it is a certificate dating back to 30 January 1370, drawn up by the Archbishop of Amalfi then in office, Monsignor Marino, in which it is stated that the church was a patronage of the Mele family starting from 1362. In 1543 the church of San Pancrazio was sacked by an attack by pirates, remaining uninhabitable for a long time. On November 20, 1908, the bell tower collapsed and was subsequently rebuilt.
- In a splendid position, the religious building is surrounded by a large courtyard, on which two lateral rows of palm trees are arranged in front of the three entrance doors, above which there are mosaics of the Ravenna school (made in 1957) depicting San Pancrazio on the right, Sant'Antonio di Padova on the left and the Madonna del Carmine in the center. Inside the church is made up of three naves and three apses. The side aisles are dominated by cross vaults and have three small chapels each: on the right those dedicated to San Gaetano, the Madonna della Neve and Sant'Anna, and on the left those dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Crucified Christ and San Raffaele . In the church, moreover, the Madonna del Carmelo is also venerated, which is celebrated with a solemn procession on the occasion of the feast of July 16. Near the church there is a belvedere that overlooks the sea, called Punta "Vreca", since it has the shape of a ship, on which a wrought iron cross stands.
- Church of San Michele Arcangelo. Among the typical vegetation of the area (lemon, carob and olive trees), in the locality of "Penne", stands the church of San Michele Arcangelo. The date of its foundation is also unknown for this religious building and tradition has it that it is very ancient. In a notarial deed it is learned that the church existed before 1208.
- The church consists of a hall, ending with a flat apse, made up of two modules of equal size. The high altar, the two marble balustrades that divide the presbytery, the Neapolitan school canvases found in the 4 side chapels of the first span, the ancient organ and the floor that can now only be seen in the apse are from the eighteenth century. . Characteristic is the small wooden pulpit. The sacristy was completed in 1824. The bell tower made up of two square directors ends in the upper part in a cylindrical cell with six single lancet windows. The building has gone through years of neglect, has been the subject of continuous thefts, stripped of all sacred furnishings and was heavily affected by the 1980 earthquake. It has been restored and is currently reopened for worship.
- Chapel of the Immaculate Conception (On the west side of the town's main square). Known as Piazza Olmo for the presence of elms, there is the small noble chapel of the Immaculate Conception built at the end of the seventeenth century by the Pandolfi family. The chapel was built to serve his home not far from the square. The appearance is typically Spanish in taste with the small bell tower dominating the façade. The portal overlooks three steps and is flanked on the right side by a votive shrine depicting the Virgin with the child. The small room consists of a rectangular room with a barrel vault with lunettes decorated with squares with stucco motifs. The chapel was significantly renovated in 1895 as the plaque above the door testifies:
| «THIS CHAPEL IS THE PROPERTY OF MARY GAETANA PANDOLFI WAS ANDREA FOUNDED BY |
- The altar, the organ, and the apsidal part, decorated at both ends by two medallions depicting the saints Anthony of Padua and Dominic with the central canvas depicting the Madonna enclosed in a thick golden frame, remain from the previous phase. The altar is flanked by the two entrances to the small sacristy.
- Chapel of the Madonna della Neve. A chapel dedicated to the Madonna della Neve was erected on the beach to protect the sailors. This place of worship still dear to the Conchesi is set in the rock. Its dimensions are small and for this reason on 5 August mass is celebrated on the beach. The legend tells that the high relief on the altar, depicting the Madonna with the child Jesus, was found by the sailors of Conca on a beach near Constantinople, after the sack of the city by the Ottomans.
Events and parties
- Feast of the language of St. Anthony of Padua.
February 15. - Palm Sunday. On Palm Sunday, the faithful go to church bringing with them intertwined palm leaves called "palm fish" or "latr" in popular jargon. In order to be intertwined, the leaves must be cut from a palm that is closed all year round to prevent the leaf inside from growing and turning green. Nowadays there are few who know this art. In fact, in their hands the leaf takes the most varied forms that lead back to symbols of the earth with an auspicious purpose. Among the many symbols we can find the ear of corn, the bird, the basket, the oak leaf, the loaf, the monstrance. With the leaves that are removed to be processed, you can also create small crosses that men place on the collar of their jacket or baskets (called panarelle) that are filled with flowers. After the religious function, the blessed palms are brought home and are placed at the entrance of the house or in the preferred place, as a symbol of protection.
- Holy Week. With procession of the Dead Christ on Good Friday.
- Easter Monday. On this day the statue of St. Anthony of Padua is venerated and carried in procession to the church of San Michele.
- Feast of San Pancrazio martyr. May 12.
- Patronal feast of Sant'Antonio da Padova. June 13. Of great importance for the population is the feast of the patron saint who every year on June 13 draws the faithful to his sanctuary. Devotees come from nearby places like Praiano, Furore, Agerola is Amalfi but also from distant places. It is tradition to donate precious objects among the offers, especially rings that refer to the miracle of the lost ring.
- Feast of St. John the Baptist. June 24. The birth of St. John the Baptist is celebrated with a solemn procession with the sixteenth-century statue that starts from the church dedicated to him and reaches Piazza Olmo, the main square of the town and fireworks.
- Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. July 16. With a procession that starts from the church of San Pancrazio martyr and fireworks.
- Feast of Our Lady of the Snow. 5th August. The Conca marina celebrates the Madonna della Neve who is considered the protector of fishermen. After the Holy Mass celebrated on the beach, a long procession begins at sea on the typical fishing boats. We arrive at Amalfi and back up to Fjord of Furore and then return to the Conca beach.
- Feast of Our Lady of the Assumption. August 15. In the church of Santa Maria di Grado, a small statue of the Madonna is venerated, which is carried in procession for a short distance, up to the Town Hall building.
- Feast of Santa Rosa da Lima. 23 August.
- Feast of San Michele Arcangelo. September 29.
- Feast of the Immaculate Conception. December 8. With the feast of the Immaculate Conception in the country opens the Christmas period. The procession, enlivened by the bagpipe and the shawm, with the small statue of the Immaculate Conception starts from the chapel dedicated to her, located in Piazza Olmo, to arrive in the church of Santa Maria di Grado where Mass takes place. At the end of the function we return to the square and after putting the statue away, donuts, candies and chocolates are distributed (festival of honey donuts, candies and chocolate). At the end of the fireworks.
- Carnival of the Janare. It is held on the Saturday before Shrove Tuesday. Re-enactment of the myth of witch women who haunted the town.
- Sea party. 23 July. Village festival based on fish, celebrated in the Marina di Conca, in honor of the fallen at sea, in peace and in war.
- Festival of the Santarosa Sfogliatella. 2 August. Restored in 2011 after a long suspension over the course of the 2000s, it is an anniversary in memory of the nuns who invented this dessert. In addition to the sfogliatella tasting, other gastronomic dishes of the Conchese cuisine are offered.
February 15.What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
- Santarosa puff pastry - It is said that the Santarosa sfogliatella was born by chance. In fact, in the eighteenth century, the Dominican cloistered nuns of the Conservatory of Santa Rosa da Lima in Conca dei Marini, who were dedicated to the preparation of bread and sweets, gave life to this dessert which they did not immediately imagine the fame it would have. . There was a portion of pasta left and one of the pious nuns decided not to discard it but spreading it in a baking dish and placing a cream made with semolina flour, milk and sugar, with pieces of dried fruit of their production and sour cherries in syrup, and after having covered all with the high part of the dough he baked everything in the hot bread oven. So the first prototype of the sfogliatella was a cake that over time took on its current form.
- Rabbit in the lemon leaves - A typical dish of Conca is rabbit in lemon leaves. Here you can consult the recipe.
Where stay
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Conca dei Marini
Commons contains images or other files on Conca dei Marini
Wikinews contains current news on Conca dei Marini
