Nocera dei Pagani

Nocera dei Pagani (Nuceria Paganorum), as it was known between the 16th century and 1806, was a civitas that included a large portion of the Agro nocerino-sarnese, corresponding to five contemporary municipalities: Nocera Inferiore, Nocera Superiore, Pagani, Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino and Corbara.

Nuceria
In the period before the Roman supremacy in southern Italy, the whole territory was known as Nuceria, the chief town in the Sarnus valley – Herculaneum, Pompeii, Stabiae and Surrentum all being dependent upon it, according to many archaeologists. It maintained its allegiance to Rome until 309 BC, when it joined the Samnites in revolt. In 308 BC it repulsed a Roman attempt to land at the mouth of the Sarnus, but in 307 BC it was besieged and surrendered. It obtained favourable terms, and remained faithful to Rome even after the Battle of Cannae.

In 216 BC Hannibal weakened the town by starvation, then destroyed it. The inhabitants returned when peace was restored. During the Social War, it remained true to Rome. In 73 BC it was plundered by Spartacus.

Saracen colony
In the Middle Ages (around the 9th century) a small colony of Saracens was introduced in the annexed territory of modern-day Pagani by permission of the Dukes of Naples; according to most sources, it lasted only a few decades, but other sources state that a second colony of Muslim Saracens was later introduced by Frederick II. The town was described as "a genuine Muhammadan town with all its characteristic mosques and minarets." It is said that, through their darker complexion and features, the townsfolk maintain the heritage of these Muslim settlers.

After the mid-9th century the town was part of the principality of Salerno first, and then of the principality of Capua.

Pagano family
The House of Pagano, an ancient noble family of local lords living in the castle of Cortimpiano (Curtis in Plano), in the territory of Pagani, apparently took this surname from the Saracen pagans who previously inhabited the area. A family member named Ugo dei Pagani is credited as a crusader knight and founder of the Knights Templar. Reference to Nocera as his birthplace is found at least as early as Baedeker's Southern Italy (1869) and is also found in the Old Catholic Encyclopedia. Two more recent writers say that the theory is supported by a letter that Hugues wrote from Palestine in 1103, in which he talked of writing to "my father in Nocera" to tell him of the death of his cousin Alessandro.

Second millennium
The citadel of Nuceria, located where the future Nocera Inferiore would rise, was besieged by Roger II of Sicily in the battle in 1132. After four months he razed the town to the ground. After its reconstruction, the birth of the modern Nocera began with many hamlets and villages which gradually expanded and became small towns.

During the Angevin dominion (1266–1435) Nocera was rebuilt and took the name of Nuceria Christianorum (Nocera dei Cristiani). In 1385 Pope Urban VI was besieged in the city castle by Charles III of Naples.

In the 15th century the town name was changed to Nuceria Paganorum (Nocera dei Pagani) in honor of the Pagano family, itself named after the Saracen pagans who previously inhabited the area. Throughout the Spanish domination, the town was subdivided into two departments (Nocera Soprana and Nocera Sottana), each one composed of multiple municipalities.

Every year in August, the male adults of each municipality gathered in public assembly to elect their particular mayor; then – in a different assembly – each department elected the universal mayors: two for Nocera Soprana and one for Nocera Sottana, which together led Nocera dei Pagani as a triumvirate.

The town survived until 1806. In 1807 five comuni were established: Barbazzano merged into the comune of Pagani; Sperandei merged into San Matteo Tre Casali, forming the comune of Nocera San Matteo; while Nocera Corpo, Sant'Egidio and Corbara stayed autonomous. In 1834, the remnants of Nocera Soprana (Nocera Corpo and Nocera San Matteo) merged back into a single comune, but fourteen districts of Nocera Corpo (including Pucciano) later asked for self-administration, which was granted by decree No. 1960 on 11 November 1850, with effect from 1 January 1851; thus were born the contemporary comuni of Nocera Superiore (corresponding to most of Nocera Corpo) and Nocera Inferiore (formerly Nocera San Matteo).