Pisciotta
Encyclopedia
Piscihotta is a town and comune
in Campania
, Italy
, part of the province of Salerno
. Piscihotta | Pisciotta (spelled both ways)
escaping from the fire and the destruction of their city, Troy
, founded Sires. Some of the inhabitants of the city later advanced westards, following the vast valley of the Sinni river, up to the lake and to the Sirino mountain (from which they took the name), near present-day Lagonegro
, where they founded the city of Siruci (now called Seluce). From here, they went to the Tyrrhenian Sea
, on the beach of the Gulf of Policastro. Here they founded the colony of Pixous. This event is shown in a rare series of ancient coins, in archaic characters, with the names of Sirinos and Pixoes inscripted, referring respectively, to the populations of the two cities of Sires and Pixous, respectively. The name "Pixous" comes from the root "PYX", which derives from the Greek word for boxwood
(present in the coat of arms of Pisciotta town hall).
In the year 194 BC, the Greek
word pixous became corrupted to the Latin
Buxentum.
In AD 915, when the town was plundered and burnt by the Saracens of Agropoli
, the town's name had already changed to Policastro. Many of the fleeing Bussetani went beyond the promontory of Palinuro
, where they founded a small village that they called Pixoctum, in memory of their lost town. Over the years this changed to Pixocta, then Pissocta, then Pichotta, and finally Piscihotta.
The name of Pisciotta is found in the Catalogus Baronum (1144). The year 1464 marked for the country a very important development, when the survivors of Molpa, following the destruction of their village, were sheltered in Piscihotta. Until the abolition of feudality in 1806, Piscihotta was owned by the Caracciolo
s (1270), the Sanseverinos (15th century), the Pappacodas (from 1590).
Beginning in 1996 (or so) Pisciotta became host for a summer study-abroad program conducted through SUNY Purchase College.
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 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...
, part of the province of Salerno
Province of Salerno
The Province of Salerno is a province in the Campania region of Italy.-Geography:The largest towns in the province are: Salerno, the capital, which has a population of 139,579; Cava de' Tirreni with a population of 53,488; Battipaglia with a population of 51,115; and Nocera Inferiore which has a...
. Piscihotta | Pisciotta (spelled both ways)
History
According to legend, TrojansTroy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
escaping from the fire and the destruction of their city, Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
, founded Sires. Some of the inhabitants of the city later advanced westards, following the vast valley of the Sinni river, up to the lake and to the Sirino mountain (from which they took the name), near present-day Lagonegro
Lagonegro
Lagonegro is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is part of the Vallo di Diano, near the province of Salerno....
, where they founded the city of Siruci (now called Seluce). From here, they went to the Tyrrhenian Sea
Tyrrhenian Sea
The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.-Geography:The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria and Sicily ....
, on the beach of the Gulf of Policastro. Here they founded the colony of Pixous. This event is shown in a rare series of ancient coins, in archaic characters, with the names of Sirinos and Pixoes inscripted, referring respectively, to the populations of the two cities of Sires and Pixous, respectively. The name "Pixous" comes from the root "PYX", which derives from the Greek word for boxwood
Buxus
Buxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood ....
(present in the coat of arms of Pisciotta town hall).
In the year 194 BC, the 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;...
word pixous became corrupted to the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
Buxentum.
In AD 915, when the town was plundered and burnt by the Saracens of Agropoli
Agropoli
Agropoli is a town and comune located in the Cilento area of the province of Salerno, Campania, Italy. It is situated at the start of the Cilento coast, on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Its population is 21.251.-Pre-medieval period:...
, the town's name had already changed to Policastro. Many of the fleeing Bussetani went beyond the promontory of Palinuro
Palinuro
Palinuro is a small town, the most populated civil parish of Centola, Province of Salerno, in the Campania region of Italy. The name of the town is derived from Palinurus, the helmsman of Aeneas, as recorded in the fifth and sixth books of the Aeneid.- Geography :Palinuro lies on the southern...
, where they founded a small village that they called Pixoctum, in memory of their lost town. Over the years this changed to Pixocta, then Pissocta, then Pichotta, and finally Piscihotta.
The name of Pisciotta is found in the Catalogus Baronum (1144). The year 1464 marked for the country a very important development, when the survivors of Molpa, following the destruction of their village, were sheltered in Piscihotta. Until the abolition of feudality in 1806, Piscihotta was owned by the Caracciolo
Caracciolo
Caracciolo is the surname of a famous noble family of southern Italy.Its members include:*Battistello Caracciolo, Italian painter*Carmine Nicolao Caracciolo, Spanish viceroy of Peru*Francesco Caracciolo, Neapolitan admiral and revolutionist...
s (1270), the Sanseverinos (15th century), the Pappacodas (from 1590).
Beginning in 1996 (or so) Pisciotta became host for a summer study-abroad program conducted through SUNY Purchase College.