Human settlement at Salerno has a rich and vibrant past, dating back to pre-historic times. In the early Middle Ages it was an independent Lombard principality, the Principality of Salerno, which around the 11th century comprised most of Southern Italy. During this time, the Schola Medica Salernitana, the first medical school in the world, was founded. The Normans in 1077 made Salerno the capital of their rule in all continental southern Italy. In the 16th century, under the Sanseverino family, among the most powerful feudal lords in southern Italy, the city became a great centre of learning, culture and the arts, and the family hired several of the greatest intellectuals of the time. Later, in 1694, the city was struck by several catastrophic earthquakes and plagues. During a period of Spanish rule the city suffered a crisis which would last until the 18th century, but under Napoleon Salerno became part of the Parthenopean Republic. In the 19th century Salerno supported ideas of the Risorgimento and welcomed Garibaldi in 1861.
Human settlement at Salerno has a rich and vibrant past dating back to pre-historic times In the early Middle Ages it was an independent Lombard principality the Principality of Salerno which around the 11th century comprised most of Southern Italy During this time the Schola Medica Salernitana the first medical school in the world was founded The Normans in 1077 made Salerno the capital of their rule in all continental southern Italy In the 16th century under the Sanseverino family among the most powerful feudal lords in southern Italy the city became a great centre of learning culture and the arts and the family hired several of the greatest intellectuals of the time Later in 1694 the city was struck by several catastrophic earthquakes and plagues During a period of Spanish rule the city suffered a crisis which would last until the 18th century but under Napoleon Salerno became part of the Parthenopean Republic In the 19th century Salerno supported ideas of the Risorgimento and welcomed Garibaldi in 1861