Campania

Campania is an administrative region located in southern Italy. Most of the land sits on the southwestern portion of the Italian Peninsula. The Tyrrhenian Sea borders the region to the west. Campania also includes the island of Capri and the Phlegraean Islands.

Naples serves as the capital city of the region. As of 2025, the population is 5,575,025 people. This makes Campania the third-most populous region in Italy. It is also the most densely populated region in the country.

The region is a major center for economic activity. Campania is the most economically productive region in Southern Italy. Nationally, it ranks as the 7th most productive region. The urban area of Naples is very large. It is the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union. This high density of people and business drives the local economy. The region also plays a vital role in international diplomacy. It houses the NATO Allied Joint Force Command Naples. It is also home to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean.

The history of Campania began long before the Roman Empire. During the first millennium BC, several Oscan-speaking tribes lived here. These included the Osci, the Samnites, and the Lucanians. The Lucanians lived in the southernmost part, near modern Salerno. Later, the Etruscans established colonies in the Campanian Plains. They brought a political model known as a Dodecapolis, or twelve cities. This included founding places like Hyria and Marcina.

Between the 8th and 7th centuries BC, Greek colonists arrived. They founded cities like Paestum and Herculaneum.

Naples began as a small Greek port called Parthenope.

The Samnites were a warlike group of Oscan-speaking people. They moved into Campania and took over cities like Capua and Cumae. This led to the Samnite Wars against the Roman Republic. During the First Samnite War, Capua asked Rome for help. Later, the Greeks in Neapolis also sought a Roman alliance. By 326 BC, the Roman consul Quintus Publilius Filo recaptured Neapolis. The Romans eventually controlled all of southern Campania. This victory allowed Rome to expand its influence further south.

Campania became a vital part of the Roman world. The Romans valued the region for its fertile pastures. They called it "Campania felix," meaning a happy or fertile countryside. Naples became a center for Hellenistic culture. This helped create the first traces of Greco-Roman culture. The region also served as a major granary for Rome. At Misenum, the Romans established their largest naval base. This was the home of the Classis Misenensis fleet.

Roman Emperors like Claudius and Tiberius visited the region. Tiberius was famously linked to the island of Capri.

Natural events changed the course of history in Campania. In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius had a massive eruption. This event buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. These sites are now famous archaeological locations.

The region is home to ten UNESCO World Heritage sites. These include the Royal Palace of Caserta and the Amalfi Coast.

The palace features grand Baroque gardens.

Mount Vesuvius is also part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. This protects the natural environment of the area.

During the Middle Ages, many different groups ruled Campania. The Byzantine Empire and the Lombards held power there. Later, the Normans brought smaller states into the Kingdom of Sicily. This period introduced Spanish, French, and Aragonese cultures. The University of Naples Federico II was founded by Frederick II. It is the oldest state university in the world. Naples became a major intellectual center because of this.

The region remains famous today for its rich culture. This includes beautiful architecture, music, and delicious food.

Visitors come to enjoy the scenery and the history.