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Panoramic View of Eboli, Italy
Photos courtesy of Eboli della Storia
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By Marc Reynolds
The City of Eboli is located in the in the Province of Salerno in the Campania Region of Italy. Eboli is a name most recognized thanks to the book written by Carlo Levi titled, Christ Stopped at Eboli, even though the events of the book were not actually set in the town of Eboli. Levi’s story described the boundary between presumed civilization and the definite hardships of the distressed South. Today, the context surrounding the town in the plain of the Sele River certainly no longer resembles that stereotyped image. Of course there remains the fortunate geographical conditions which, for centuries, made Eboli an important crossroads of different civilizations and cultures with many traces of ancient settlements. The oldest of these settlements came to light at the locale Madonna della Catena, dating back to the ancient peoples of Lucania (1800-2500 B.C.). Eboli does form a natural hinge between north and south in the middle of the hills and the sea with its location just a few kilometers from the coasts of Amalfi and Cilento.
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Street of Historic City Center
Photo courtesy of Paolo Sgroia
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Eboli has faced several hardships along the way. In the recent past, it was heavily bombed in 1943 during Operation Avalanche in World War II when the allied troops moved in to take over German strongholds. It was also heavily damaged after the Irpinia earthquake on November 23, 1980, whose epicenter was only 40 kilometers away, where again several buildings were destroyed and some fatalities.
Today the town to the south of Salerno is as vibrant as it ever was. With the recovery of the historic town center, Eboli has countless traces of great artistic and cultural value. It showcases numerous symbols of religious and historical inspirations where every era, with its own style, has left its touch on Eboli each of which are clearly visible and recognizable. Today, the historical center can be discovered by visiting its greatest landmarks, some of which include:
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Convent of San Pietro alli Marmi
Photo courtesy of Michele Nigro
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The 11th century Convent of San Pietro alli Marmi, which contains the relics of St. Berniero (co-patron of Eboli) who was a Spanish nobleman in the 11th century, abandoned the comfortable life and went on pilgrimage across Europe until he stopped at Eboli, where he later died; Then there is 11th century Colonna Castle with its imposing wall structure; The Sanctuary and Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian which brings thousands of pilgrims every year to pay homage to the doctor saints; The collegiate mother church of Eboli, Santa Maria della Pietà, was built in the 12th century. In it houses one of the statues of St. Vito, the patron saint of Eboli.
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Colonna Castle Tower
Photo courtesy of Paolo Sgroia
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There is the Chapel of Santa Maria ad Intra which dates back to the year 977 and gets its name because of its location was within the walls of the city. The Convent and Church of the Most Holy Trinity (also known as St. Anthony of Padua) is filled with many important and historic paintings and statues. The Convent was built in the year 1490 next to the church which had already been a parish since the 12th century. The church houses the miraculous statue of St. Anthony of Padua where it is still venerated today. A museum dedicated to the World War II Operation Avalanche is also located adjacent to the church. One of the most visible structures towering over the city is the Church and monumental complex of San Francesco of Assisi. It dates back to the year 1286 and is one of the first Franciscan settlements historically documented. Today, in addition to the church, it houses the Municipal Library, the Photographic Archives and the National Archaeological Museum of the Sele Valley.
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Sele River
Photo courtesy of Maria Conversano
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While exploring Eboli, the Piazza della Repubblica invites visitors to stop and relax and enjoy the company of friends and family. There are also archeological zones of Eboli that contain many explorations and excavations of ancient tombs and furnaces which were used for cooking and as workshops to create terracotta statues, tiles and bricks.
Eboli also offers many possibilities to explore some of Italy’s best natural resources. The territory of Eboli shares 8 km of coastline of the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is located not too far from the historic city center. On the hillside you can hike along nature trails. The Sele River flows through the territory and provides much picturesque tranquility. The river, after meandering for 15 km around the Ebolitano territory, ends its journey in the mouth of the Sele where it empties into the Tyrrhenian Sea.
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Magna Grecia Street
Photo courtesy of Vito Merola
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Eboli overlooks the very large and extremely fertile plain that stretches all the way to the sea with citrus groves and farms that produce a wide variety of crops.
Mozzarella di Bufala, mozzarella cheese made from buffalo milk, is the queen of the
Ebolitana table, produced by a number of artisan dairies in the municipal area. The major economic resource of Eboli is the cultivation of fruit and vegetables, especially tomatoes, peppers, olives, eggplant, fennel, lettuce, strawberries, peaches and apricots. The agro-industrial production in Eboli is one of the most important in all of Europe. It is perfectly situated where the territory gets moisture from the warm waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, from which it receives the beneficial effects of the cool summer breezes and fertile rainy spring and fall.
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Procession of Sts. Cosmas and Damian. Church of San Francesco towers above
Photo courtesy of Michelangelo Rosamilio
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The close proximity of nearby attractions makes Eboli a perfect place to visit during your adventures to southern Italy. Whether visiting Napoli, Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, Salerno, Paestum or the Cilento Coast, there is always enough time to stop at Eboli to enjoy the perpetually mild climate, rolling hills rich in history, areas of unspoiled nature with picturesque waterways, the rich fertile plains which produce such high-quality food products and the unending winding streets of historic architecture. There truly is something for everyone to enjoy in Eboli.
For those interested in learning more about Eboli or can trace their ancestors to Eboli, there is a Facebook page setup to share the history utilizing old and new photos and members stories. Please visit
www.facebook.com/eboliinhistory or contact
eboliinhistory@gmail.com for more information.
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Church and Sanctuary of Sts. Cosmas and Damian
Photo courtesy of Antonello Stabile
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