Afragola (original) (raw)

Comune in Campania, Italy

Afragola Afravola (Neapolitan)
Comune
Comune di Afragola
Afragola City HallAfragola City Hall
Coat of arms of AfragolaCoat of arms
Location of Afragola Map
Afragola is located in ItalyAfragolaAfragolaLocation of Afragola in ItalyShow map of ItalyAfragola is located in CampaniaAfragolaAfragolaAfragola (Campania)Show map of Campania
Coordinates: 40°55′N 14°19′E / 40.917°N 14.317°E / 40.917; 14.317
Country Italy
Region Campania
Metropolitan city Naples (NA)
Government
• Mayor Antonio Pannone
Area[1]
• Total 17.9 km2 (6.9 sq mi)
Elevation 43 m (141 ft)
Population (28 February 2017)[2]
• Total 64,470
• Density 3,600/km2 (9,300/sq mi)
Demonym Afragolesi
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code 80021
Dialing code 081
Patron saint St. Anthony of Padua
Saint day June 13
Website Official website

Afragola (Italian: [afraˈɡoːla]; Neapolitan: Afravola [afraˈvoːlə], locally [afraˈoːrə]) is a city and comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples, in Italy. It is one of the 100 largest Italian cities (the ones that have a population of more than 63,000 inhabitants).

The communal territory, measuring 18 square kilometres (7 square miles), borders the municipalities of Acerra, Casalnuovo di Napoli, Caivano, Cardito and Casoria, forming a single metropolitan area of around 100,000 inhabitants. The comune of Afragola is one of the most densely populated of the country.

The area of modern Afragola was already settled in ancient times by the Samnites. Older remains, belonging to an early Bronze Age settlement buried by a Vesuvius eruption in the 19th century BC, were found in 2005.[3]

According to a tradition now recognized as false,[4] the town was founded in the Middle Ages, in 1140, by Roger II of Sicily, who assigned the land to its veterans. It is more likely that the city stemmed from the merger of several villages and churches already existing here. The territory was originally held by the archbishops of Naples, but from 1576 it was directly subjected, as an autonomous community, to the Kings of Naples.

High speed train station designed by Zaha Hadid

Napoli Afragola railway station was designed by the architect Zaha Hadid and opened in 2017. This station is only used by high-speed trains on the Rome–Naples high-speed railway line, which link Afragola to many Italian cities including Bologna, Milan, Florence and Turin.

Afragola's bus network is managed by CTP (the Consorzio Trasporto Pubblico or Public Transport Consortium).

The proposed Line 10 of the Naples Metro will also serve Afragola.

Criminality and social issues

[edit]

Afragola is the seat of one of the largest camorra clans of the area, led by Anna Mazza. In 1999 and 2005, the communal council was disbanded by rule of the President of Italian Republic due to mafia allegiance of some of its members.[5]

Along with most of the nearby communes, Afragola also suffers from high pollution rates, as well as a high unemployment rate; unreported employment is also widespread.[6]

  1. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  2. ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  3. ^ Halpin, Danny. "Village found that was preserved by Mount Vesuvius eruption 2,000 years before Pompeii", Talker News, October 11, 2022
  4. ^ Capasso, Gaetano. Afragola, Dieci secoli di storia comunale. Aspetti e Problemi. Athena Mediterranea.
  5. ^ "le decisioni del Tar". La Repubblica. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  6. ^ "I cantieri della vergogna". Archivio.rassegna.it. Retrieved June 11, 2013.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Afragola.