Marcianise
Encyclopedia
Marcianise is a town and comune
in the province of Caserta
, Campania
, Italy
.
and Roman
age have been excavated, although Oscan elements should have pre-existed. The origin of the today's city are uncertain. It was allegedly founded in the 6th century CE by bands of Ostrogoth
s after their defeat in the Gothic War
.
In 861 it was probably destroyed by the Saracen
s along with Capua
. After the creation of the Duchy of Capua, Marcianise followed the latter's history.
The area was repeatedly struck by cholera
but, according to a legend, the city was miracolously spared by the July 1706 plague through the intercession of the Holy Crucifix. Later the marshy area was dried, and extensive cultivation of cannabis
augmented the economy of the region.
, shows a long series of peculiar influences ranging from French and English to more ancient Greek
and Oscan
. Examples of local exclusive words include ching for "tile" (Italian: tegola) and cstunia for "turtle" (Italian: tartaruga).
and coral
, as well as numerous chemical, manufacture and chemical industries of national relevance. Together with the territories of Maddaloni
, Acerra
, Caivano
and Teverola
, the commune forms the second most industrialized area of Italy. Dairy
and wine production is also flourishing.
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...
, 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...
.
History
In the area of the commune of Marcianise numerous tombs of EtruscanEtruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
and Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
age have been excavated, although Oscan elements should have pre-existed. The origin of the today's city are uncertain. It was allegedly founded in the 6th century CE by bands of Ostrogoth
Ostrogoth
The Ostrogoths were a branch of the Goths , a Germanic tribe who developed a vast empire north of the Black Sea in the 3rd century AD and, in the late 5th century, under Theodoric the Great, established a Kingdom in Italy....
s after their defeat in the Gothic War
Gothic War
Gothic War can refer to several periods of warfare between the Roman empire and the Goths, including:*Gothic War – Greuthungs and Thervings against the Eastern Roman Empire*Gothic War – Visigoths against the Western Roman Empire...
.
In 861 it was probably destroyed by the Saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
s along with 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...
. After the creation of the Duchy of Capua, Marcianise followed the latter's history.
The area was repeatedly struck by cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
but, according to a legend, the city was miracolously spared by the July 1706 plague through the intercession of the Holy Crucifix. Later the marshy area was dried, and extensive cultivation of cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
augmented the economy of the region.
Main sights
- The Baroque church of the Annunziata. The interior has Neapolitan school frescoes.
- The Cathedral of St. Michael Archangel houses a miracolous crucifix which saved the city from cholera in the 18th century.
- The Castle of Loriano (15th century) has maintained the towers, the walls and the interior school, while that in Ariola is now a private residence.
Other places of interest
Near Marcianise, there is the mediumwave transmitter for the Napoli area, which works on 657 kHz. It uses as antenna a 205 metres tall guyed mast radiator insulated, against ground, which is the tallest radio tower on the Italian mainland.Dialect
The dialect of Marcianise, although similar to NeapolitanNeapolitan language
Neapolitan is the language of the city and region of Naples , and Campania. On October 14, 2008 a law by the Region of Campania stated that the Neapolitan language had to be protected....
, shows a long series of peculiar influences ranging from French and English to more ancient Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and Oscan
Oscan language
Oscan is a term used to describe both an extinct language of southern Italy and the language group to which it belonged.The Oscan language was spoken by a number of tribes, including the Samnites, the Aurunci, the Sidicini, and the Ausones. The latter three tribes were often grouped under the name...
. Examples of local exclusive words include ching for "tile" (Italian: tegola) and cstunia for "turtle" (Italian: tartaruga).
Economy
Marcianise is home to several craftmanship firms working goldGold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
, as well as numerous chemical, manufacture and chemical industries of national relevance. Together with the territories of Maddaloni
Maddaloni
Maddaloni is a town and comune of Campania, Italy, in the province of Caserta, about 5 km SE of Caserta, with stations on the railways from Caserta to Benevento and from Caserta to Avellino.-Main sights:...
, Acerra
Acerra
Acerra is a town and comune of Campania, southern Italy, in the Province of Naples, about 20 km northeast of the provincial capital in Naples. It is part of the Agro Acerrano plain.-History:...
, Caivano
Caivano
Caivano is a city and comune in the Province of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 14 km northeast of Naples....
and Teverola
Teverola
Teverola is a comune in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 20 km north of Naples and about 12 km southwest of Caserta....
, the commune forms the second most industrialized area of Italy. Dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
and wine production is also flourishing.