Teora
Teora (AV)
Hidden gemVillages
The story
In 1980 Teora lost more than a hundred inhabitants and nearly all its houses. The rebuilt village keeps, in its old core, the walls left standing like scars.
Access
FREE
The story
Teora is among the towns closest to the epicentre of the 1980 earthquake, and its response to that wound earned it, in 2005, the gold medal for civil merit. But its history begins much earlier: born as an agricultural, pastoral and military centre, it carries memories that date to the Roman age — tradition has it that the tribune Milo died here during the civil war between Caesar and Pompey. Already struck by the earthquakes of 1694 and 1732, Teora has made of reconstruction a part of its own identity.
What to see
Teora is the town of reconstruction: the centre reborn after 1980 tells, more than a single monument, of the choice of a community to stay and rebuild. Around it, the agricultural and hill landscape of Upper Irpinia, along the valley of the Ofanto.
Hours and prices
Free entry.
Tips
Come to Teora to understand the Upper Irpinia of the post-earthquake, without seeking the postcard: here the value is the community and its rebirth, recognised by the gold medal for civil merit. It is reached by car; an excellent stop on the tour of the towns of Upper Irpinia.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Teora receive the gold medal for civil merit?
For its response to the Irpinia earthquake of 1980, being among the towns closest to the epicentre; the honour is of 2005.
What is the origin of Teora?
It was born as an agricultural, pastoral and military centre; tradition ties the place to the death of the Roman tribune Milo during the civil war between Caesar and Pompey.
Had Teora already been struck by earthquakes before 1980?
Yes, it suffered damage with the earthquakes of 1694 and 1732.
More gems: Villages
VillagesLa Pignasecca
Montesanto
The oldest market in Naples unspools through the alleys of Montesanto: fish stalls, fry shops and old-time botteghe (traditional shops) in a hubbub that never stops.
Villages
Borgo Marinari
S. Lucia
At the foot of Castel dell'Ovo, the little fishermen's borgo (old village) is now a marina of boats and restaurants: stone, salt air and the legend of Virgil's egg hidden in the foundations.
VillagesMarina Corricella
Procida
The oldest fishermen's borgo (old village) on Procida, an amphitheatre of pastel houses tumbling down to the harbour, where the boats sleep beneath the hanging laundry.
- ◆ Villages
Mercato di Porta Nolana
zona Garibaldi
Beneath the Aragonese arch of Porta Nolana the fish market erupts with voices, crates of seawater and shellfish still alive: Naples at its most unvarnished.
- ◆ Villages
Borgo di Casamale
Somma Vesuviana
The medieval heart enclosed by Aragonese walls and towers, a tangle of alleys where every four years the Festa delle Lucerne lights thousands of little lamps.
- Villages
Marina Grande di Sorrento
Sorrento
Below the town's cliffs, the old fishermen's borgo (old village) with houses faded by the salt, boats hauled ashore and trattorias fragrant with frying.