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Campania
To the south of Italy, the region of Campania is a charming combination of mountains, sun-soaked valleys and breezy island jewels of Capri, Ischia and Procida.
The region of Campania is divided into the provinces of Avellino, Benevento, Salerno, Caserta and its capital, Naples. It derived its name from the Latin “Romans Campania Felix” or Fortunate Countryside a title which is shared as well by the French province of Champagne. It is no surprise that Roman relics, Byzantine, Romanesque and Baroque art flourish as a testament to the region’s magnetic personality.
The proximity of the region to the ocean is one of its biggest draws with the Amalfi fishing villages perched on seaside cliffs as if watching over the sea. For those interested in a leisurely day trip, the ancient village of Calitri beckons with its castles, Baroque palazzos and vineyards. For those wanting a taste of the classic antiquity of the Roman era, visit the Greek temples at Paestum as well as the amazingly preserved Roman ruins at Pompeii and Herculaneum, which had faced the wrath of the volcanoes Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei and Ischia.
Locals will tell you that a visit to Campania is never complete without heart rustic meals, in this acknowledged birthplace of the pizza and the producers of the best buffalo milk’s cheese called mozzarella di bufala.
The pasta dishes have a robust flavor in them, as Calitrian cuisine is known for being tasty in each bite of hand-made pasta such as cingul' and sciliend' (a special vermicelli-like pasta) with a condiment of garlic-fried oil and hot chili pepper. The heartier eaters will appreciate m'gliatiegghij' (roulades of kid or lamb casings garnished with cheese, offal, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and sliced sausage; sfritta, or chopped pork meat sautéed with hot peppers) and stockfish a la ualanegna (stockfish boiled with garlic, herbs and chili peppers) washed down with a cool glass of white wine.
