The beautiful city of Agropoli, a destination every year for many tourists looking for sun and sea crystalline, it is divided into two parts by the Testene river.
The history of the Testene river
The city of Agropoli is famous for its splendid beaches and for its ability to attract thousands of tourists every year from all over Italy and from every corner of the world. A wonderful place made even more attractive by the presence of the Testene river which divides Agropoli perfectly into two parts. In particular, on one side there is the port with the ancient area of the city and on the other side of the river bank there are territories that have made history and to be precise there is the place where the Americans decided to camp to logistically manage military activities during the Second World War. In reality, however, this river was called Foce in ancient times while it took on its current name only in the early twentieth century. Probably at the time of the Greeks who actually founded this city, the river was used to manage trade with all the populations who were in the hinterland. There are also numerous historical documents that take us back to the period between the 1955st century BC and the XNUMXth century AD with references to a coastal village of clear Roman origins called Erculam. This was a period of great splendor for the whole town which unfortunately waned with the silting up of the port and therefore with the relative abandonment of the town itself. In subsequent centuries this river was mentioned only to tell of cataclysms and disasters such as the disastrous floods that followed. In these areas there was also an epidemic problem with many cases of malaria and its eradication only arrived in XNUMX. In the sixties, however, the river was sadly notorious for being used for pollution.
The origins of the name
The name Testene has been attributed to this river which flows entirely in the current Cilento province, due to a legend linked to the Duchess Testene who was killed by a group of raiders of Turkish origins. According to tradition, the tears shed by her maids were so copious that they gave rise to the river itself. Apart from these stories which naturally fall into popular legend, there are a series of significant data from a geographical point of view which best represent this watercourse. First of all, the river is not only linked to the city of Agropoli but concerns many others located in the province of Salerno. In particular, it was born in the municipality of castellabate on the peaks of Monte Perrona Pizzuto at a height of 1.036 meters above sea level. In this stretch it is known by the name of Fiumara di Vatolla. The watercourse then continues its excursion crossing the municipality of Laureana Cilento and then arriving in the Gulf of Salerno near Agropoli. Overall there are four kilometers of the river which also has some tributaries such as the Fiumara San Nicola.
The risk of hydrogeological instability
In recent years, also thanks to less stable climate conditions than in the past, the problem of hydrogeological instability has literally exploded in Italy. A worrying situation that concerns many territories including that of Agropoli precisely because of the presence of the Testene river. In fact, this river has a torrential character and over the years there have been several floods that have made people fear the worst. Among other things, in past centuries the city found itself isolated several times due to this waterway. The last time is today's news because, unfortunately, it dates back to a few months ago.
Gorgeous beaches?!?!?!