In the province of Salerno there is a populous country rich in history. Part of the municipality of present-day Santa Marina, Policastro currently has around 2000 inhabitants who welcome thousands of visitors during the tourist period. The reason for this influx is linked to the origins of ancient Policastro, now destroyed but which has preserved stories in its walls and streets that can still be told.
Today Policastro represents a point of reference for those who wish to visit the Tyrrhenian coast, in particular the places that stand out on the gulf that takes its name. The cities of Villammare and Capitello are quickly reachable and offer for food lovers sea everything you require from seaside resorts.
We walk through ancient Policastro
In the past, towns and cities had to be strategic bases from both a commercial and war point of view and land that was close to a river was privileged. This was the case for the ancient Policastro which was born because it was very close to the Bussento river. Policastro was soon colonized by the Greek empire due to its strategic position in relation to the cities that overlooked the important commercial ports of the Strait of Messina. The Gulf of Taranto was also accessible from the city because it was connected to the Siris river. Soon with the succession of the Roman Empire, the current Policastro took its name in the second century BC. of the river that surrounded it, the Bussento and was called Buxentum. As the centuries passed and the expansion of Byzantine culture, space was given to great architectural works and Buxentum saw the rise of an important castle in the seventeenth century and with this domination the city took its current name of Policastro.
From this historical moment the city faced various ordeals which led it to endure the raids of Saracen pirates who plundered the goods of the citizens who found themselves broke. Thanks to the proximity to the ports mentioned above and the intense commercial exchanges, the people recovered quickly and Policastro became the object of desire of the kings of Sicily. In particular, the Guiscardos intervened to make the city of Policastro safer and more attractive from an artistic point of view.
Unfortunately between 1100 and 1300 the political instability of the area involved the city of Policastro which had to undergo a change of domination in fact the Angevins took over the city making it further safe and accelerating the expansion of its commercial port.
Policastro destroyed several times but always resurrected
From 1300 onwards, first the Genoese and then the Turkish pirates repeatedly destroyed the city's defenses, always putting it on fire. However, every time Policastro rose again, first the Sanseverino family and then the willpower of its citizens always gave new life to the city. Its prosperity became evident until the early 1800s when French troops decided to test its defenses again. The famous battle that took place between the English fleet is the transalpine one which saw the second succumb, however, with serious damage to the castle.
Today, walking along Policastro you can still savor the sad breath of death but also the sweet scent of rebirth.
