Lauria is a town and ''
comune
A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'' of the
province of Potenza
The province of Potenza (; Potentino: ) is a province in the Basilicata region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Potenza.
Geography
It has an area of and a total population of 369,538 (as of 2017). There are 100 ''comuni'' (singular: ''com ...
, in
Basilicata
Basilicata (, ; ), also known by its ancient name Lucania (, , ), is an administrative region in Southern Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. It has two coastlines: a 30-kilometr ...
, southern
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, situated near the borders of
Calabria
Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. It is a peninsula bordered by the region Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily, and the Tyrrhenian S ...
. It is a walled, medieval town on the steep side of a hill, with another portion of municipal territory in the plain below.
It is historically the largest city in the southwestern
Lucania
Lucania was a historical region of Southern Italy, corresponding to the modern-day region of Basilicata. It was the land of the Lucani, an Oscan people. It extended from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Gulf of Taranto. It bordered with Samnium and ...
region.
History
The original nucleus of the city appeared probably in the 10th century, near the place where later the Sanctuary of Madonna dell'Armo was edificated. However, it seems that monastic activity pre-existed in the area, as ''Lauria'' just means the "
lavra
A lavra or laura (; Cyrillic: Ла́вра) is a type of monastery consisting of a cluster of cells or caves for hermits, with a church and sometimes a refectory at the center. Lavra monasteries operate within the Orthodox and other Eastern Chri ...
city". The Castle of Lauria, later attributed to
Roger of Lauria
Roger of Lauria (''c''. 1245 – 17 January 1305), was a Calabrian knight who served the Crown of Aragon as admiral of the Aragonese navy during the War of the Sicilian Vespers. He was probably the most successful and talented naval tacticia ...
, was built by
Byzantins.
In the 12th century Lauria was the seat of a
Norman fief, which was held by Gibel and then by his son
Richard of Lauria, who died in the
battle of Benevento
The Battle of Benevento was a major medieval battle fought on 26 February 1266, near Benevento in present-day Southern Italy, between the forces of Charles I of Anjou and those of King Manfred of Sicily. Manfred's defeat and death resulted in C ...
on 1266.
His son
Roger of Lauria
Roger of Lauria (''c''. 1245 – 17 January 1305), was a Calabrian knight who served the Crown of Aragon as admiral of the Aragonese navy during the War of the Sicilian Vespers. He was probably the most successful and talented naval tacticia ...
was a famous admiral of the 13th century.
In 1806 the city was destroyed and the population slaughtered by the French soldiers under general
André Masséna
André Masséna, prince d'Essling, duc de Rivoli (; born Andrea Massena; 6 May 1758 – 4 April 1817), was a French military commander of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was one of the original eighteen Marshal of the ...
,
as punishment for having supported the
Bourbon kings.
Geography
Located in southern Basilicata and included in the
Appennino Lucano - Val d'Agri - Lagonegrese National Park, Lauria is a hill town divided into a pair of districts (in italian, "rioni"): the upper one named "rione superiore" (in ancient times, "Castello", because the presence of its castle) and the lower one named "rione inferiore" (formerly "Borgo"). The municipality borders with
Castelluccio Superiore,
Castelsaraceno,
Lagonegro,
Laino Borgo
Laino Borgo ( Calabrian: ) is a town and ''comune'' of inhabitants in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. It is located on the border between two regions (Calabria
Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Sou ...
,
Latronico,
Moliterno,
Nemoli
Nemoli is a town and ''comune'' of 1,501 inhabitants, found in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. The town, positioned between the Apennine Mountains, is noted for its artisanal work, typically in wood and copp ...
,
Tortora and
Trecchina.
Main sights
*The remains of the Castle (13th century)
*The Sanctuary of the Assunta
*The Mother Church of St. Nicholas
*The church of St. James (15th century)
*The Convent of Immacolata (16th century), with a noteworthy cloister
Transport
Lauria is not served by a near airport, anyway the nearest airport is
Salerno-Pontecagnano from Lauria. Other airports are
Lamezia Terme
Lamezia Terme (), commonly called Lamezia, is an Italian city and ''comune'' of 70,452 inhabitants (2013), in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region.
History
The municipality of Lamezia Terme was formally created on 4 January 1968. It ...
and
Napoli-Capodichino.
The town is served by the
A2 motorway Salerno
Salerno (, ; ; ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Campania, southwestern Italy, and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after Naples. It is located ...
-
Reggio Calabria
Reggio di Calabria (; ), commonly and officially referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the List of cities in Italy, largest city in Calabria as well as the seat of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria. As ...
, at the exits "Lauria Nord" and "Lauria Sud" and, until the closure in 1979, by the
Lagonegro–Castrovillari-Spezzano Albanese railway.
List of FCL railway lines
/ref>
People
*Roger of Lauria
Roger of Lauria (''c''. 1245 – 17 January 1305), was a Calabrian knight who served the Crown of Aragon as admiral of the Aragonese navy during the War of the Sicilian Vespers. He was probably the most successful and talented naval tacticia ...
– admiral
*Francesco Lorenzo Brancati di Lauria
Francesco Lorenzo Brancati di Lauria (10 April 1612, Lauria – 30 November 1693, Rome) was an Italian cardinal and theologian.
Life and career
At the age of seventeen di Lauria was struck with a dangerous illness, and he made a vow that i ...
* Domenico Lentini – priest
* Rocco Papaleo – actor, film director, and singer
* Domenico Pittella – politician
* Gianni Pittella – politician
* Marcello Pittella – politician
References
External links
Official website
Lauria on comuni-italiani.it
{{authority control
Cities and towns in Basilicata