D.the stubbornness of Annamaria, Laura, Carlotta and Amelia started the rebirth of the historic center of Buccino, on the hills of Salerno, in Campania, where archeology is intertwined with contemporaneity. It is the Roman Volcei, whose traces are found in inscriptions already transcribed in the sixteenth century, a crossroads of peoples and cultures for the position of control over the lower Tanagro valley, the Piana del Sele and the Gulf of Paestum.
Buccino (Salerno, the ancient Volcei. Ph. Nicola Cerzosimo / STUDIO CERZOSIMO
After the 1980 earthquake that destroyed a large part of the country, the mayor of the time, Raffaele Verderese, applying the Zamberletti Law, had posters posted on the walls to communicate to citizens that not only the historic center, the agora of the town, but also the houses partially damaged by the earthquake, would be razed to soil. Amelia Salimbene, 86, a former elementary teacher, the only one left of the group of women who inspired the spontaneous insurrection, says: “We did not want the demolition of the heart of the country, of our homes, of our intense and vital community. We were anchored to those stones and those pieces of history that emerged from the bowels on street corners ».
The discovery of the past
Archaeological recovery intervention in the center of Buccino.ph. Francesca Paola Cilento
Amidst bewilderment and disputes, excavations began in 1987 which revealed how modern streets, open spaces and squares perfectly traced the area of ancient Volcei. While the citizens still lived in the prefabricated buildings, unable to return to their homes, “we organized exhibitions in the former Italian cinema to protect the excavations and tell the community about the archaeological importance of what emerged from the work in progress”, says Adele Lagi, a young man at the time. and enthusiastic archaeologist sent by the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Salerno and Avellino, former director of the National Archaeological Museum of Volcei.
Imagining a better future for Buccino
In the meantime, the new mayor Filomena Rosa Gerbasio, a staunch supporter of culture, asked the Superintendence for an intervention that would turn into a far-reaching project to imagine a better future for Buccino. “Like this, connecting us to the most advanced experiences of urban archeology in Europe, such as that of the port of Marseille, the Urban Archaeological Park project came to life. In those years, proposing an archeology that progressed hand in hand with reconstruction by participating in the rebirth and, in a certain sense, capable of guiding the change of the city was neither fashionable nor understandable »explains Adele Lagi. In 2003 the Park was inaugurated thanks to state and European funds, in collaboration with the increasingly cohesive community, an enlightened Superintendency and the Municipality. Today it is a unique experience to walk through the historic center of Buccino, perhaps accompanied by the volunteers of the Pro Loco, and to see here and there that between alleys and doors a series of stairs open up to go underground, below the current houses, where you can admire the extraordinary superimposition of elements and structures of different epochsand: wall remains of the baths of the Augustan age, ancient houses, precious mosaics.
A coexistence between ancient and modern that surprises and fascinates
The white stone blocks of the temple dedicated to the cult of the Emperors, or Cesareum, have always been known in the village, which today, after the important restoration works of the ancient Roman city, can be admired inside the Domus Volceiana, bookable on Airbnb and can be visited on request (domusvolceiana @ gmail.com). “It is sensational to walk on the crystal plates that protect the remains of an oriental rite immersion baptismal font and of a medieval church erected on the temple square, visible in one of the bedrooms and in the corridor” explains Cristina De Caro, owner of the bed & breakfast.
Interior of Palazzo Forcella, which houses the Carlo Levi Museum. ph. Angelo Bruno
Two steps in history
Slowness is the best key to visit Buccino and savor the traces of the past. Entering from Porta Consina you meet Palazzo Forcella headquarters of the Luigi Gaeta Foundation – Carlo Levi Study Center, which established and opened the interactive to the public Carlo Levi and Southern Question Museum with 52 works by the multifaceted Turin artist ( foundationeluigigaeta. it). Continuing along via Claudio Guerdile, decumanus of the ancient city, you can see the structures of the ancient market. Continue towards the forum, the center of power, of which the portico erected on pre-Roman structures remains. In via Canali take the stairs to go down under a house and admire the thermal baths with a large perfectly preserved mosaic, and then go up to the remains of the Norman Angevin Castle which with its tower dominates Buccino.
The Caveosa di Buccino area. ph. Nicola Cerzosimo / CERZOSIMO STUDIO
In the shop window the jewels of the priestess
Returning towards Piazza Giovanni Amendola, there is a “small Matera”: it is the rock complex with the caves of the hermits. Going down from the hill here is the former convent of the Eremitani di Sant’Agostino, seat of the National Archaeological Museum of Volcei “Marcello Gigante”: three floors dedicated to the findings of Buccino and the territory, from the third millennium BC to the Roman age, with precious objects such as those found in the Tomb of the Golds which belonged to a priestess of the end of the 4th century. The rich set of gold jewels is surprising: rings, necklaces, earrings, fibulae and bracelets and silver objects linked to the world of the gym and banquet, rarely associated with female figures. Among the exhibits: the floor, almost entirely preserved, of a banquet hall, the oldest ever found in Italy, coming from a sanctuary on the northern slopes of Buccino. It’s not over: ten minutes from Buccino you can reach the abandoned village of Romagnano al Monte, and the Caves of Pertosa-Auletta in the Massif of the Alburni Mountains, where it is possible to navigate along an underground river. A unique experience in Italy.
Artifacts found in the excavations of the ancient Volcei kept at the National Archaeological Museum “Marcello Gigante” in Buccino. Ph. Mario Laporta / KONTROLAB
Where to sleep
Farmhouse Lucerne
Contrada Valanzara, Buccino.
Two rooms between olive trees and vineyards. Double from 50 euros. Lunch and dinner, by reservation, based on garden products. tel. 0828.752028, cell. 339.6132493
Domus Volceiana
Built on ancient Roman structures that were highlighted in the restoration, leaving them visible. Three rooms, from 70 euros per night, minimum stay of two nights. airbnb.it
Eliceto Resort & Spa
Contrada Eliceto, Buccino.
In the former hunting lodge of the Caracciolo di Martina princes, you sleep in silence, surrounded by olive groves and woods. Double from 150 euros. elicetoresort.it
Where to eat
Montestella restaurant Lu Scarpariell
Piazza San Vito, Buccino.
Traditional cuisine, to try Lu Scarpariell: fresh pasta topped with tomato, pecorino and parmesan, basil and chilli.
Farmhouse the Brook
Bisciglieto, two kilometers from Buccino.
Fixed menu: cold cuts and vegetables from the garden, two types of homemade pasta and trio of grilled meat.
The Meat Tavern
via Aldo Moro, Buccino.
Butcher shop where, in the evening by reservation, you can dine with local grilled meat.
La Giarla farmhouse
Location. San Mauro, Buccino.
To taste the homemade pasta seasoned with the arsicoli tomato sauce from the garden (an ancient species with a more intense flavor) and the sizzling: fried pork morsels with peppers and potatoes. Tel. 331.4349109.
INFO
Pro Loco of Buccino
Welcome and free guided tours in the historic center. Tel. 0828.952404.
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