Vico Equense
| Vico Equense | |
|---|---|
| Comune | |
| Metropolitan City of Naples | |
 | |
  Vico Equense Location of Vico Equense in Italy | |
| Coordinates: 40°40′N 14°26′E / 40.667°N 14.433°ECoordinates: 40°40′N 14°26′E / 40.667°N 14.433°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Campania |
| Frazioni | Arola, Bonea, Fornacelle, Massaquano, Moiano, Montechiaro, Pacognano, Pietrapiano, Preazzano, Sant'Andrea, Seiano, Ticciano, Tordigliano-Chiosse, Villaggio Monte Faito |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Andrea Buonocore |
| Area | |
| • Total | 29 km2 (11 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 90 m (300 ft) |
| Population (31 December 2010) | |
| • Total | 21,174 |
| • Density | 730/km2 (1,900/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Vicani |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 80069 |
| Dialing code | 081 |
| Patron saint | St. Cyrus and John |
| Saint day | 31 January |
| Website | Official website |
Vico Equense is a coastal town and comune in the Metropolitan City of Naples, in southern Italy.
Geography
Vico Equense is part of the greater Bay of Naples metropolitan area and is a tourist destination . Located on a tuff cliff, it is relatively close to the ferry to the island of Capri, the volcano Vesuvius, the Monte Faito and the ancient town of Pompeii.
The town is bordered by Castellammare di Stabia, Meta, Piano di Sorrento, Pimonte and Positano.
History
A 7th century, pre-Roman necropolis has been found in the area. Later, when it was called Latin: Aequana[1]) Roman patricians chose it for their villas. After a long decline, the center started to flourish again in the late 13th century, when it became independent from the Duchy of Sorrento and King Charles II of Naples repeatedly sojourned in the town, where he also built a castle (1301). To this period also date the Cathedral, the only example of Gothic Cathedral in the Sorrentine Peninsula. It is also world famous as the home town of Bruce Springsteen's maternal ancestors.
The great Russian dancer, Violetta Elvin, born Prokhorova, lives with her family in Vico Equense, where she took refuge in 1956 after abandoning a successful career in all theatres of the world. Her career will be reconstructed in the biographical novel by Raffaele Lauro entitled “Dance The Love – A Star in Vico Equense”,[2][3][4] to be published by GoldenGate Edizioni in 2016.
Bruce Springsteen's maternal grandfather was from Vico Equense. He dedicated the song "My Hometown" to the place.
Monuments and places of interest
The Church of the Annunciation was the cathedral of the Diocese of Vico Equense until 1818 when it was abolished. Built in the early 14th century on a clifftop overlooking the sea, is an example of Gothic architecture, while the facade is in Baroque style.
The Antiquarium Silio Italico is an archaeological museum founded in 1966 that collects mainly funerary objects found in a necropolis, discovered in Vico Equense during the construction of some buildings in the 1960 and 1970.
The Campanian Mineralogic Museum, founded in 1992, had originally on display a collection of mineral semples donated by Pasquale Discepolo, a local engineer. As the years went by the museum has further enriched its collections, adding various display sections dedicated to gemstones, paleonthology and even antropology. The museum is one of the most important Campanian science museums.[5]
Among the natural attractions of the area is the Scrajo spa, founded in 1895. At the spa they offer therapies for various diseases, thanks to the several sources of sulfur water that feed into the center. The complex is also used for beach tourism, thanks to its proximity to the sea.
Transportation
Railroad
Since 1948, Vico Equense is crossed by the Circumvesuviana railway network. The city has three stations. The main station is called "Vico Equense" and serves the village center. The station "Seiano" serves the fraction of Seiano and the station "Scrajo Terme" that allows access to tourists to the nearby spa and bathing.
Harbors
The city is served by the harbor of Vico Equense, mainly used by fishing vessels and boats of tourist use, and the larger port of Seiano, also used for passenger service to Capri and Sorrento. Both ports are connected to the city center with a bus service.
See also
References
- ↑ Richard Talbert, Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World, (ISBN 0-691-03169-X), Map 44 and notes.
- ↑ http://www.carusothesong.com/en/news/108/dance-the-love-a-star-in-vico-equense-the-premire-of-the-cover-of-the-new-novel-by-raffaele-lauro-.html
- ↑ http://www.carusothesong.com/en/next-novel.html
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCQxaRpJjDw&feature=youtu.be
- ↑ http://www.museomineralogicocampano.it/en/museo/
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vico Equense. |
