CURRENT HISTORY OF THE CAMP COUNTRY
Certain traces of the early settlements have come from IV century. B.C. As evidenced by the finds of numerous tombs at the locality of Piantito and Palazza and in the areas of Oppidi, Serradarce, Tuori and Saginara.
The first documented news of the existence of a town inhabited with the name “Campagna” only meet after the year one thousand, in a parchment of 1056, where it is referred to as “castellum Campaniae”.
In the XII and XIII centuries, in the local documents, “Civitatis Campaniae” is the town of the present Campaign.
The historical events of the Campagna ranging from the Longobardo to the Swabian and Angevin times are linked to the Principality of Salerno. The Campagna feud is controlled by Sanseverino until the time of the family’s participation in the conspiracy against Frederick II of Swabia, for which, as a result of their betrayal, the Casale di Sant’Angelo in Palmentara is completely destroyed and the population retreats even more In the interior widening the country houses around the “Girone” castle.
At the end of the 14th century Feudo passes, by succession, to Count Raimondello Del Balzo Orsini but, following the rebellion of the barons against Queen Giovanna D’Angiò, returns to the real deman and in 1437 he was assigned to the family of Duke Orsini Of Gravina. With the Country Orsini lives a period of relative calm, so that it can be defined as a safe and comfortable place, in 1420 it reaches approximately 14,000 inhabitants, divided into 1,700 families.
In the 14th century the new urban layout of Campagna is set up with the three main houses that make up the city: The first is the Giudeca, located among the others with the parish church and the bishopric, erected first with the title of St. Mary of Giudeca; The second Casale with its parish church is called Zappino; The third Casale is S. Bartholomew, commonly known as the “Parish”. To these, it adds, in the period from 1370 to 1441, another Casale, called Casalnuovo because more recent than the others, which develops between the church of the Trinity, the new seat of the Augustinians, and the Market Square.
The 500th represents a thriving century for the urban development of Campagna that is enriched with new religious and civil factories, aristocratic chapels and palaces arise, the construction of the basilica cathedral S. Maria della Pace replaces the pre-existing collegiate church of Santa Maria della Giudeca, now demolished completely. The presence of numerous religious factories is due essentially to the growing importance that Campagna acquires thanks to the Bishop’s Office, established since the sixteenth century by the will of Pope Clement VII.
On July 23, 1532, under Carlo V, in Regensburg, the Campagna feud was granted to Honor Grimaldi of Monaco with the title of Marchesato. During the Long War of Thirty Years, Spain absorbs enormous riches from all provinces of the Empire, with serious repercussions also in the small village of Campagna, which has long been proven by the administration of the Grimaldi, undergoes a further phase of regression .
Between 1632 and 1644, following the motions of Masaniello inflaming Naples and spreading throughout Salernitana, Campagna citizens participate in the revolt, especially against the agents and men of the marquisate, creating serious disturbances in the city. But much more serious is the consequence of the great plague of 1656, which reduces the population of a third of a country. In 1673, the Feudo di Campagna passed to Regio Demanio, which each year absorbed the revenue and, in 1692, was bought by Niccolò Pironti with the title of ducal.
During the eighteenth century, the Dukes Pironti modify and complete the city’s urban layout by filling the empty spaces remaining in the various districts and repairing the many damage caused by the terrible earthquake of 1694. In the following centuries Campagna follows the vicissitudes that it encounters throughout the South ‘Italy, but while the political affairs affecting the city are numerous, one can not say the same thing as its urban affair that can be said to have ended in some sense.
With the 1980 earthquake some important parts of the urban fabric are lost following the demolition of isolated blocks. Moreover, the collapse does not spare even many historic buildings in the city such as the Cathedral, the Church of the Annunciation and the Monastery of S.M. Maddalena, who today still bear the signs of devastation, or the Conventual Complex of SS. Conception went completely destroyed.