Vallo della Lucania

The city of Vallo della Lucania is considered as the physical and administrative headquarters of the National Park of Cilento and Vallo di Diano. It rises in the inner part of the Cilento, at the foot of Mount Gelbison, at 380 m above sea level. The original name of Vallo della Lucania was “Castrum Cornutum”, in fact its founders came from Cornutum, a town in Dalmatia, from where they emigrated in the 9th century. Their presence is witnessed by two documents dating back to 1052 (found in the abbey of Cava), which speak about the "casuto dei Cornuti" as the official residence of a Lombard official.
In ancient times Vallo included two hamlets called Spio and Cornuti, divided by a river and two bridges; the settlement experienced a great development at the end of the 15th century, when it came under the rule of the Holy House of the Annunciation of Naples, registering, since then, a continuous economic-social growth that allowed the inhabitants of the two hamlets to resist and survive the numerous famines that struck southern Italy in the 1600s.
In the XVIII century the town changed its original name to that of “Vallo di Novi”, becoming a significant cultural center, thanks to the foundation of schools of theology, philosophy and grammar.
Under the French government, it became a district capital and, in 1808, by the will of Gioacchino Murat the hamlets of Casali di Massa, Angellara and Pattano, Novi Velia, Moio della Civitella and Cannalonga were annexed to the municipality with the Royal Decree of 8 November 1828.
Vallo has actively participated in all the patriotic and revolutionary initiatives that have affected southern Italy, from the revolts of the '20-'21 to Garibaldi's enterprises.
Currently Vallo della Lucania can be defined as the most important shopping and service center of Cilento, also thanks to the presence of important public facilities.

The city of Vallo della Lucania is considered as the physical and administrative headquarters of the National Park of Cilento and Vallo di Diano. It rises in the inner part of the Cilento, at the foot of Mount Gelbison, at 380 m above sea level. The original name of Vallo della Lucania was “Castrum Cornutum”, in fact its founders came from Cornutum, a town in Dalmatia, from where they emigrated in the 9th century. Their presence is witnessed by two documents dating back to 1052 (found in the abbey of Cava), which speak about the "casuto dei Cornuti" as the official residence of a Lombard official.
In ancient times Vallo included two hamlets called Spio and Cornuti, divided by a river and two bridges; the settlement experienced a great development at the end of the 15th century, when it came under the rule of the Holy House of the Annunciation of Naples, registering, since then, a continuous economic-social growth that allowed the inhabitants of the two hamlets to resist and survive the numerous famines that struck southern Italy in the 1600s.
In the XVIII century the town changed its original name to that of “Vallo di Novi”, becoming a significant cultural center, thanks to the foundation of schools of theology, philosophy and grammar.
Under the French government, it became a district capital and, in 1808, by the will of Gioacchino Murat the hamlets of Casali di Massa, Angellara and Pattano, Novi Velia, Moio della Civitella and Cannalonga were annexed to the municipality with the Royal Decree of 8 November 1828.
Vallo has actively participated in all the patriotic and revolutionary initiatives that have affected southern Italy, from the revolts of the '20-'21 to Garibaldi's enterprises.
Currently Vallo della Lucania can be defined as the most important shopping and service center of Cilento, also thanks to the presence of important public facilities.