A splendid terrace on the Amalfi Coast, a destination for hikers and food lovers alike.
Agerola is the only town on the Amalfi Coast that belongs to the province of Naples, not Salerno.
Numerous trekking routes start here, including, from the hamlet of Bomerano, the famous Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods), which leads to Positano via a spectacular and evocative walk on the Lattari mountains overlooking the coastal sea. Agerola is a typical mountain village, with an ancient history and precious dairy tradition, nestled in the heart of the Amalfi Coast. A destination not to be missed, for its suggestive landscapes offering unusual views of the immense coastline, and a rich wine and gastronomic heritage.
Hiking
A pearl nestled in the Monti Lattari mountain range, Agerola is criss-crossed by a 60 km string of lush paths, including the famous Sentiero degli Dei, from which you can admire breathtakingly diverse landscapes.
The “Land of the Gods” offers a dense network of centuries-old footpaths, mule tracks where you can still smell the horses and wood, and ancient steps that characterize the entire coastal area. Roads carved out of a fascinating landscape, winding between green and blue, through valleys, forests, rivers, waterfalls and flower-filled meadows teeming with rare species.
Some of these evocative itineraries, following the paths and mule tracks once trodden by shepherds and farmers, link rural nuclei that speak of distant customs and traditions; others reach villages, hermitages and beaches that have kept their specific character intact over the centuries and today constitute jewels of history and culture, recognized the world over.
Typical products
The splendid scenery of this mountain village is combined with excellent typical products.
Agerola has been famous for centuries for its mozzarella, smoked cheeses, ricotta (used by the best pastry chefs to prepare the famous Neapolitan pastiera) and the inimitable “provolone del monaco d.o.p.”, all produced with milk from the Agerola breed of cattle.
In addition to raising cattle, Agerola has for centuries been devoted to raising pigs, which are used to produce high-quality cured meats. Agerola’s bread is also delicious. In addition, the fertile soil and excellent climate enable the production of high-quality vegetables.
History
Its name derives from “ager”, a Latin word meaning field.
A name that sums up the origins and vocation of this typical mountain town. The first inhabitants of Agerola, in fact, ploughed small fields among the thick forests that covered the entire territory, thus obtaining a small area on which to build the urban center. Today, the town still preserves this typical landscape conformation, with its territory divided into small fields laid out on terraces dug into the slopes of the Lattari mountains.
Agerola is the oldest town on the Amalfi Coast, and the first traces of human presence in the area most probably date back to the early Iron Age. In fact, in the 1970s, a vast necropolis dating back to the 9th century BC was discovered in the hamlet of Casalone in Bomerano.
In Roman times, the region was rich in “rustic towns”, particularly in the flat area, which suggests that it was widely cultivated given its privileged position.
In the centuries that followed, the commune became part of the Kingdom of Naples, following its ups and downs until the unification of Italy. Moreover, the inspirational ideas of the French Revolution were welcomed by Agerola’s scholars living in Naples, and Agerola was the first town in the province to adhere to the democratic constitution of the Neapolitan Republic.