Acerra

Not to be confused withAcera,a town in theProvince of Perugia.

For other uses, seeAcerra (disambiguation).

Acerra
Comune
Aerial view of Acerra
Coat of arms
Location of Acerra
Acerra Location of Acerra in Italy Acerra Acerra (Campania)
Coordinates:40°57′N14°22′E
Country	Italy
Region	Campania
Metropolitan city	Naples(NA)
Frazioni	Gaudello, Pezzalunga
Government
• Mayor	Tito D’Errico (UdC)
Area
• Total	54.71 km2(21.12 sq mi)
Elevation	26 m (85 ft)
Population (31 December 2017)
• Total	59,910
• Density	1,100/km2(2,800/sq mi)
Demonym	Acerrani
Time zone	UTC+1(CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2(CEST)
Postal code	80011
Dialing code	081
Patron saint	St. Cuono and Conello
Saint day	29 May
Website	Official website

Acerra(Italian:[aˈtʃɛrra]) is a town andcomuneofCampania,southern Italy, in theMetropolitan City of Naples,about 15 kilometres (9 miles) northeast of the capital inNaples.It is part of the Agro Acerrano plain.

History

Acerra is one of the most ancient cities of the region, likely founded by theOsciwith the name ofAkeru(Latin:Acerrae,Ancient Greek:Ἀχέρραι). It first appears in history as an independent city during the great war of the Campanians and Latins againstRome.Shortly after the conclusion, in 332 BC, the Acerrani, in common with several other Campanian cities, obtained the Roman "civitas", without the right of suffrage. The period at which the latter privilege was granted upon them is not mentioned, however, it is certain that they ultimately obtained full rights over the Roman citizens.

In theSecond Punic War,the city was faithful to the Roman alliance, on which account it was besieged byHannibalin 216 BC, following which the city was quickly abandoned by the inhabitants in despair, leading the city to be plundered and burnt. After the expulsion of Hannibal from Campania, the Acerrani, with the consent of the Roman senate, returned to and rebuilt their city in 210 BC.

Acerra served as a Roman base during theSocial Warin 90 BC.During the war, it was besieged by theSamniteGeneral,Gaius Papius Mutilus,but offered so vigorous a resistance that he was unable to reduce it.Virgilpraises the fertility of its territory, but the town itself had suffered so much from the frequent inundations of the riverClanius,on which it was situated, that it was in his time almost deserted.It subsequently received a colony underAugustus,andStrabospeaks of it in conjunction withNolaandNuceria,apparently as a place of some consequence. It does not seem, however, to have retained its colonial rank, but is mentioned by Pliny as an ordinary municipal town.

In 826 theLombardsbuilt a castle here, which was later demolished by Bono of Naples. In 881 it was sacked by theSaracens.Later it became aNormanpossession, the seat of a county. As part of theKingdom of Naples,it was a domain of the Aquino, the Origlia, the Orsini del Balzo and, from 1496 until 1812, the Cardenas. From 1927 it was part of the province ofTerra di Lavoro.

On 1 October 1943, several units of theHermann Göring Divisionmassacred nearly 90 civilians, including 7 children and 14 women in one of the bloodiest massacres in Campania; a memorial was erected in honor and on behalf of the victims.

Modern Issues

From the 1990s to the 2000s, awaste management crisisbroke out in the city as a result ofillegal dumpingby the Pellini brothers,Camorramembers. Majority of the waste was dumped in the region between Acerra,Nola,andMarigliano,referred to as the "Triangle of Death".A 2004 study by Alfredo Mazza published inThe Lancet Oncologyrevealed that deaths by cancer in the area are much higher than the European average.In 2009, the Acerra incineration facility was completed at a cost of more than €350 million. The incinerator burns 600,000 tons of waste per year in order to producerefuse-derived fuel.The energy produced from the facility is enough to power 200,000 households per year.

After this incinerator was built in 2009, there was yet again another trash epidemic in 2011. There were more than 2,000 tons of uncollected trash, with over 170 troops deployed into the area. Since 2008, the 2011 crisis is the second time troops have been deployed in order to deal with the issue. Prime MinisterSilvio Berlusconiordered the troops to "return Naples to being a civilized city."

Notable Sights

Sight Name	Background Information	Images
Acerra Cathedral	Originally built over an ancient temple ofHerculesand remade in the 19th century. It houses someBaroquecavasses from the 17th century. Annexed is the Bishop's Palace. The Cathedral was also remade in the 19th century.	The Acerra Cathedral.
Archaeological area ofSuessula	A pre-Roman settlement in the Campania planes. Since 1996,Salerno Universityhas been conducting research on the area. During this research it was also discovered that individuals had likely known about the area as early as the beginning of the 1900s.	Drawing depicting the original area of Suessula. Image of the current remains of the area of Suessula.
Mount Vesuvius	Also referred to as Italian Vesuvio, the volcano is still considered to be active. Resting near theGulf of Napleson the Plane of Campania.Mount Vesuvius last erupted in March 1944,however, it is still considered to be one of the most dangerous volcanoes today because there are about 3 million people living near it (within 20 miles) today.	Image of Mount Vesuvius taken from a plane.
Pompeii	On August 24, 79 CE,Mount Vesuviuserupted sending ash, volcanic debris, and molten lava through the air. In turn, Pompeii was covered and kept frozen in time to be unearthed in the 1700s. At the time of the eruption there was an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 people living in Pompeii.The city is one of the biggest pieces of physical proof of Roman Civilization, the now city gives a wonderful images of what daily life may have looked like at the time.	Victim of the Eruption on Display Pompeii Remains

Culture

Architecture

Typical Architecture in Acerra, depiction the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff Stone

Napoli Afragola Train Station

Acerra has a rich variety of architecture, for example, more modern train stations like theNapoli Afragola Station,compared to older buildings like the Acerra Cathedral. The Napoli Afragola Station was designed byZaha Hadid Architects,constructed in 2017 with an area of more than 3000 square meters.Since Acerra is so close to Naples, Italy, it has adopted many of its architectural styles. Including, but not limited to influences fromthe Roman Empire,the Renaissance,and theBaroqueandNeoclassicalperiods. Many buildings are constructed with stone, due to their geographical surroundings, due to this close connection, it is often referred to as the 'architectural cultivation of land.' One material that is seen often in the area is the yellow-grey stone, which was also used in the construction of the Acerra Cathedral. This stone is called Neapolitan Yellow Tuff Stone, or in Italian, Napoletano Tufo Giallo.

Cuisine

Neapolitan Pizza

Acerra is rich with flavors and homemade food. Afterall, the neighboring city of Naples is the birthplace of pizza.There are a massive variety of food, including baked, fried, and grilled goods in the streets of Naples. The Margherita pizza is especially consumed here because it was invented to represent the colors of the Italian flag, the red of the tomato, the green of the basil, and the white of the mozzarella cheese. Another item that is well known in the area is Neapolitan pizza, which is a closed pizza filled with ricotta cheese, tomatoes, mozzarella, and peppers. Other items that are easy to find are pasta, coffee, and caprese.

Economy

Following the conclusion ofWorld War II,Italy had one of the weakest economies in the world, however, now it is considered to be one of the most powerful. The largest industries that contribute to the strength of Italy's economy is chemicals, and textiles. After the second world war the reason that their economy was able to expand so exponentially was due to the fact that they were able to manufacture andexport goods,due to their liberal trade policies. Another great asset Italy has contributing to its economy istourism.Though this country's strong suit is not in the agricultural aspect of things, they are one of the leading countries in the world in regards to the production ofolive oil.Other products that are also exported to other countries from Italy includerice,tomatoes,andwine.The economy does also have some weaknesses including the lack of raw materials they have access to, and the lack of energy sources, many of which they end up being forced to import.

Coronavirus Pandemic

The citizens of Acerra were told to lock down during March 2020, in Acerra specifically, since it is such a small town the residents were very skeptical about the virus. In late March, there was an incident in which a woman arrived in Acerra after travelling toLombardy,which was the epicenter of thecoronavirusoutbreak in Italy. Said woman arrived in Acerra on March 9, the day after the lockdown was announced. The mayor of Acerra at the time, Rafaele Lettieri, did talk about this issue, without naming the woman. She responded onFacebook,stating she followed all the precautions that were required of her, includingself-isolating.After the issue was addressed by the mayor, residents of Acerra took to the streets in order to express that they wanted the woman to be removed from the town.

Climate

Monthly Average Temperatures

The warm season lasts for nearly three months, from mid June to mid September. During this time, the average high, daily is more than 83 degreesFahrenheit.Typically, the hottest month in Acerra is August. In August, the typical low is 69 degrees Fahrenheit, while the typical high is 88 degrees. In regards to the colder season, this season lasts for about four months, late November to late March. The typical high during this time is 62 degrees, however the coldest month is January. During January, the typical low temperature in Fahrenheit is 41 degrees, with the high temperature being 55 degrees.

Average High and Low Temperature in Acerra

Average	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December
Average High (Fahrenheit)	55°	56°	61°	67°	75°	83°	88°	88°	81°	73°	64°	57°
Average Temperature (Fahrenheit)	48°	48°	53°	58°	66°	74°	79°	79°	72°	64°	56°	49°
Average Low (Fahrenheit)	41°	41°	45°	50°	57°	64°	69°	69°	63°	56°	48°	43°

Weather

Acerra is not a city that receives muchprecipitation,a day that would be consider to be a "wet day" would be a day in which there are 0.04 inches of precipitation. The wettest month of the year is November, during which about 10 days of the month are considered "wet days". During the wet season, there is typically less than a fourth of the days that receive the 0.04 inches of precipitation. Acerra also does tend to be humid, however, throughout different seasons the humidity varies greatly. In the area, the more humid months tend to be from early June to late September.

Transportation

There are many ways to travel around Acerra, in order to get from one major attraction to another, the typical modes of transportation include taxi, foot, bus, metro, or car. When in the nearby city ofNaples,many attractions are very close to one another, meaning travelling by foot is cheapest and recommended. In regards to a taxi, they are not the most cost efficient mode of transportation, as the cost increases the farther you travel. As for busses, they are notorious for their unreliability. The metro also has trains above, or below ground, and on the day to day is usually used by commuters, but it is good to travel longer distances for a cost effective price. Finally, cars, this type of transportation is not all too common among travelers due to the fact that it is necessary to get aninternational driving permitin order to operate a vehicle in Italy.

Safety of the Area

Acerra is not an extremely safe place, though it has improved. In the more southern areas of Italy, crime and gangs tend to be more prevalent. In Acerra, a major factor contributing to the crime is the fact that more than a quarter of the children in the town are not enrolled in school. In the 1990s, the most present gang wasLa Camorra,whom were often known for having children die in their crimes during this time. Though technically, the area is not violent, it is not safe due to the fact that there is so much organized crime. In Italy as a whole, they actually have a lower homicide rate thanNew York City.The term "Mafia"has been coined to describe these groups of organized crime.

References

This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Smith, William,ed. (1854–1857). "Acerrae".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography.London: John Murray.