Scala 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 ...
''in the
province of Salerno
The province of Salerno () is a province in the Campania region of Italy. It has 1,054,766 inhabitants as of 2025.
Geography
The largest towns in the province are: Salerno, the capital, which has a population of 131,950; Cava de' Tirreni, Bat ...
in the
Campania
Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islan ...
region of south-western Italy. It is located on a rocky hill c. 400 m above sea-level and is part of the
Amalfi Coast.
History
According to an ancient and unproven tradition, it was founded by Roman shipwrecks travelling to
Constantinople
Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
. In the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
Scala was, together with
Ravello, the most important fortification of the
Duchy of Amalfi. Its two castles (mentioned in a document of c. 1000 AD) were sacked by
Robert Guiscard
Robert Guiscard ( , ; – 17 July 1085), also referred to as Robert de Hauteville, was a Normans, Norman adventurer remembered for his Norman conquest of southern Italy, conquest of southern Italy and Sicily in the 11th century.
Robert was born ...
in 1073 and destroyed by the
Pisane sixty years later. In 1210 the fate repeated with the troops of
Otto IV and, in the late century, during the
Sicilian Vespers
The Sicilian Vespers (; ) was a successful rebellion on the island of Sicily that broke out at Easter 1282 against the rule of the French-born king Charles I of Anjou. Since taking control of the Kingdom of Sicily in 1266, the Capetian House ...
.
The
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, commonly known as the Redemptorists, were founded in Scala by Saint
Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori.
Our History
Redemptorists International.
Main sights
Scala is divided into six different hamlets with precise identities: from north to south, Santa Caterina, Campoleone, Campidoglio, Scala, Minuta and Pontone. Attractions include:
*Santa Caterina: ''Porta Urbana'', church of Santa Caterina, chapels of St. Paul and Santa Maria della Porta
*Campoleone: church of ''San Pietro'', in Angevine- Gothic style.
*Campidoglio: church of ''San Giovanni Battista'', with a Moresque bell tower.
*The '' Duomo'' of Scala, modified in Baroque times. It has maintained the medieval crypt, the Angevine sepulchre of Marinella Rufolo, and an episcopal mitre and a Crucifix from the 13th century. Also notable is the Bishops' Palace.
*Minuta: Romanesque church of ''Annunziata''
*Pontone: church of ''San Giovanni Battista'' and the remains of the basilica of ''Sant'Eustachio''.
Chestnuts
The town is known for its cultivation of chestnuts. Every year, at the end of November, for two consecutive weekends, a Sagra delle Castagne (a chestnut festival) is held in the main square.
See also
* Amalfi Coast
*Sorrentine Peninsula
The Sorrento Peninsula or Sorrentine Peninsula is a peninsula located in southern Italy which separates the Gulf of Naples to the north from the Gulf of Salerno to the south.
Geography
Overview
The peninsula is named after its main town, Sor ...
References
External links
Official website
Cities and towns in Campania
Amalfi Coast
Duchy of Amalfi
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