Battipaglia

Battipaglia
Comune
Comune di Battipaglia
Battipaglia within the Province of Salerno
Battipaglia Location of Battipaglia in Italy
Coordinates: 40°37′N 14°59′E / 40.617°N 14.983°E / 40.617; 14.983Coordinates: 40°37′N 14°59′E / 40.617°N 14.983°E / 40.617; 14.983
Country	Italy
Region	Campania
Province	Salerno (SA)
Frazioni	Aversana, Santa Lucia Inferiore, Spineta
Government
• Mayor	Gerardo Di Iorio, Ada Ferrara, Carlo Picone (government special commissioners)
Area
• Total	56,46 km² (2,180 sq mi)
Elevation	72 m (236 ft)
Population (31 January 2013)^[1]
• Total	50,485
• Density	8.9/km² (23/sq mi)
Demonym	Battipagliesi
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	84091
Dialing code	0828
Patron saint	Santa Maria della Speranza
Saint day	July 2
Website	Official website

Battipaglia (pronounced [ˌbattiˈpaʎʎa]) is a town and comune in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy, with 50,485 inhabitants.^[1]

History

The area was given its modern name in 1080, when Robert Guiscard confirmed the possession of lands between the Sele river and Tusciano river to the Church of Salerno. Mentioned in the document, the Castelluccio was then owned by the Church of Salerno, and its subsequent owners would be Count Marcoaldo, the Teutonic Order, the Church of Salerno again, the Doria family, and Marquis Giulio Pignatelli. Battipaglia was officially created by Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies as an agricultural colony in 1858, being defined as an independent municipality by a Royal Decree on 28 March, 1929. The Bourbon authorities chose Battipaglia as the site of an agricultural colony, where families who had survived the 1857 Basilicata earthquake could be rehoused.

During the second world war, markedly in 1943, the town was bombed several times by American aviators. In 1953 the town was involved in a disappearance which is still shrouded in mystery, involving its socialist mayor Lorenzo Rago. In the years following the end of World War II, Battipaglia undertook a great industrial growth, also witnessing a big increase in population, mostly people moving from the neighboring towns. In 1969, due to the concrete possibility that two large plants of sugar and tobacco, both employing a significant number of inhabitants, would close, about half of the city protested and gave life to a popular uprising, which would be calmed down few days later, following Italian government's commitment not to close the plants. The few but intense days of social unrest eventually resulted in 2 victims.^[2] Since late 20th and early 21st century, the town has managed to combine the agricultural sector (French company Bonduelle established one of its two plants in Italy here) to the technological one.

On May 8, 2013, the then-mayor of Battipaglia, Giovanni Santomauro, was notified of an ordinance for bid rigging, bribery and aggravated abuse of office for allegedly granting of public contracts, worth a total of € 5 million, to members of the Casalesi clan. One year after Santomauro's resignation, investigations carried out by the Italian Ministry of the Interior led to the dissolution of the parish council, due to severe interference of criminal organizations, entrusting the public management to three special commissioners appointed by the government.

Geography

The municipality borders with Bellizzi, Eboli, Montecorvino Rovella, Olevano sul Tusciano and Pontecagnano Faiano. Its hamlets (frazioni) are Aversana, Santa Lucia Inferiore, Spineta, Belvedere, Taverna delle Rose, Serroni (Alto e Basso) and Rione Sant'Anna.

Economy

Most of the town's wealth is due to the industrial, craft, and agricultural sectors. Among the most significant companies are: Bonduelle (food), Prysmian (telecommunications cables), Sivam (animal husbandry), Metzeler (auto parts), Alcatel-Lucent (research center), Telerobot (electronic equipment), Nexans (electric cables), Crown (packaging in metal closures), Paif, Jcoplastic, and Deriblok (plastic). Several local dairy companies produce the well-known local buffalo mozzarella (Mozzarella di bufala campana DOP), a famous form of which is called 'zizzona di Battipaglia' because of its similarity to a female breast.

Culture

Every first Sunday of July the town's center is decked to the nines for three days on the occasion of the celebrating of Our Lady of Hope (Festa della Speranza). The big town market, whose atmosphere recalls an amusement park where traders can display their wares, lasts from Saturday to Monday, usually ending with a music exhibition in the central Piazza Amendola.