Portici

Portici
Comune
Comune di Portici


Coat of arms
Portici

Location of Portici in Italy

Coordinates: 40°49′11″N 14°20′28″E / 40.81972°N 14.34111°E / 40.81972; 14.34111
Country Italy
Region Campania
Province / Metropolitan city Metropolitan City of Naples (NA)
Frazioni Bellavista
Government
  Mayor Nicola Marrone
Area
  Total 4.52 km2 (1.75 sq mi)
Elevation 29 m (95 ft)
Population (30 September 2012)
  Total 55,365
  Density 12,000/km2 (32,000/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Porticesi
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 80055, 80052
Dialing code 081
Patron saint Cyrus
Saint day 31 January
Website Official website

Portici [ˈpɔrtitʃi] (Neapolitan: Puortece) is a town and comune of the Metropolitan City of Naples in Italy. It is the site of the Portici Royal Palace.

Geography

Portici lies at the foot of Mount Vesuvius on the Bay of Naples, about 8 km (5.0 mi) southeast of Naples itself. There is a small port. To the south east is Ercolano, formerly Resina, which occupies the site of ancient Herculaneum. San Giorgio a Cremano is another town nearby.

History

The city was completely destroyed by the Eruption of Vesuvius in 1631, but was rebuilt. Charles III of Spain, King of Naples and Sicily, built a royal palace in the town between 1738-1748. After Garibaldi defeated the Bourbons in 1860, the palace was turned into the Portici botanic gardens and the Royal Higher School of Agriculture. It once contained the antiquities from Herculaneum, which have since been moved to Naples.

Economy

The inhabitants were historically engaged in fishing, silk-growing and silk-weaving up to the beginning of the 20th century. Later a more diversified economy emerged, with industry and trade as main pillars.

Vincenzo Cuomo is the mayor. In 2009, he banned shops from displaying Christmas decorations because shopkeepers were subject to extortion to buy Camorra (mob) sold decorations.[1][2]

In March 2008, Boeing opened a research centre for advanced materials under an agreement with Alenia.[3]

Notable people

Notes and references

Media related to Portici at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/28/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.