Caiatia
Encyclopedia
Caiazzo is a city and comune
in the province of Caserta
(Campania
) in Italy
. It is located on the right bank of the Volturnus
, some 20 km north-east of Capua
.
in 306 BC
, and since in the 3rd century BC it issued copper
coins with a Latin legend it must have had the civitas sine suffragio. In the Social War it rebelled from Rome, and its territory was added to that of Capua by Sulla. In the imperial period, however, we find it once more a municipium.
In the Middle Ages it belonged to the Lombard
Duchy of Benevento
and the County of Capua. The episcopal see
was founded in AD 966
. Later Frederick II
established here a Treasure Court. It had a castle which was enlarged by the Angevines
and, during the reign of Alfonso V of Aragon
, housed his mistress Lucrezia d'Alagno
. Later Caiazzo was the fief of numerous baronal families of the Kingdom of Naples
.
Caiazzo was the seat of anti-royal rebellions at the times of the Neapolitan Republic
, and also housed several Carbonari
. Despite this, Caiazzo was one of the few towns in the kingdom whose population sided against Garibaldi's expedition
which annexed southern Italy to Piedmont
.
During World War II, retreating German troops massacred 22 civilians here.
, which still provides a good water supply.
The Lombard castle is still existing.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
in the province of Caserta
Province of Caserta
The Province of Caserta is a province in the Campania region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Caserta. The former royal palace of Caserta is located near to the city.It has an area of 2,639 km², and a total population of 879,342...
(Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
) in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is located on the right bank of the Volturnus
Volturnus
In Roman mythology, Volturnus was a god of the waters, probably derived from a local Samnite cult. His festival, Volturnalia, was held on August 27.The Volturno river in Campania is named in his honour....
, some 20 km north-east of Capua
Capua
Capua is a city and comune in the province of Caserta, Campania, southern Italy, situated 25 km north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. Ancient Capua was situated where Santa Maria Capua Vetere is now...
.
History
The ancient Caiatia was already in the hands of the RomansRoman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
in 306 BC
306 BC
Year 306 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Tremulus and Arvina...
, and since in the 3rd century BC it issued copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
coins with a Latin legend it must have had the civitas sine suffragio. In the Social War it rebelled from Rome, and its territory was added to that of Capua by Sulla. In the imperial period, however, we find it once more a municipium.
In the Middle Ages it belonged to the Lombard
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
Duchy of Benevento
Duchy of Benevento
The Duchy and later Principality of Benevento was the southernmost Lombard duchy in medieval Italy, centred on Benevento, a city central in the Mezzogiorno. Owing to the Ducatus Romanus of the popes, which cut it off from the rest of Lombard Italy, Benevento was from the first practically...
and the County of Capua. The episcopal see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
was founded in AD 966
966
Year 966 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* April 14 or April 30 – Mieszko I, the first duke of Poland, is baptized a Christian. This is usually considered the beginning of the Polish state ....
. Later Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
established here a Treasure Court. It had a castle which was enlarged by the Angevines
Capetian House of Anjou
The Capetian House of Anjou, also known as the House of Anjou-Sicily and House of Anjou-Naples, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct House of Capet. Founded by Charles I of Sicily, a son of Louis VIII of France, the Capetian king first ruled the Kingdom of Sicily during the 13th century...
and, during the reign of Alfonso V of Aragon
Alfonso V of Aragon
Alfonso the Magnanimous KG was the King of Aragon , Valencia , Majorca, Sardinia and Corsica , and Sicily and Count of Barcelona from 1416 and King of Naples from 1442 until his death...
, housed his mistress Lucrezia d'Alagno
Lucrezia d'Alagno
Lucrezia d'Alagno was a woman of noble birth with whom King Alphonso V of Naples had fallen in love in 1448. Lucrezia was daughter of Nicholas d'Alagno and Covella Toraldo. Her father, of Amalfitan origin, was lord of Torre Annunziata.Alfonso gave Lucrezia and her family lands, titles, and wealth...
. Later Caiazzo was the fief of numerous baronal families of the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
.
Caiazzo was the seat of anti-royal rebellions at the times of the Neapolitan Republic
Neapolitan Republic
Neapolitan Republic can refer to two different rebellions of Naples and its neighbourhood against the Spanish rule:* the Neapolitan Republic of 1647.* the Neapolitan Republic of 1799....
, and also housed several Carbonari
Carbonari
The Carbonari were groups of secret revolutionary societies founded in early 19th-century Italy. The Italian Carbonari may have further influenced other revolutionary groups in Spain, France, Portugal and possibly Russia. Although their goals often had a patriotic and liberal focus, they lacked a...
. Despite this, Caiazzo was one of the few towns in the kingdom whose population sided against Garibaldi's expedition
Expedition of the Thousand
The Expedition of the Thousand was a military campaign led by the revolutionary general Giuseppe Garibaldi in 1860. A force of volunteers defeated the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, leading to its dissolution and annexation by the Kingdom of Sardinia, an important step in the creation of a newly...
which annexed southern Italy to Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
.
During World War II, retreating German troops massacred 22 civilians here.
Main sights
Caiazzo has remains of Cyclopean walls, and under the Piazza del Mercato is a large Roman cisternCistern
A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...
, which still provides a good water supply.
The Lombard castle is still existing.