For centuries, travelers of the most different origins, who came from Naples and visited the towns of the Amalfi Coast, entered the city through the western gate.
And Vietri was the last stop, before Salerno, of a long and tiring journey. It was precisely to meet their needs, so that they could quench their thirst upon their arrival, that in 1790, thanks to the funds made available by a certain Don Tullio, a spectacular Baroque style fountain was built, embellished in the central niche by a statue of Aesculapius , then replaced by a putto. A few years later, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the fountain was moved to the beach of Santa Teresa and, in memory of the original benefactor, it began to be defined as "Don Tullio's fountain", as it is still known.
Almost a century after its construction, following the unification of Italy, that fountain became the focal point of the green area project to be set up in the land obtained as part of the expansion and reorganization of the seafront. The engineers Bellini and Scodes designed the new Villa Comunale, but the Verdi Theater was instead built in the space identified at the time. The author of the garden was then the architect Renato Casalbore in 1872, who placed it where in the Middle Ages there were the complexes first of San Giovanni di Dio, with adjoining hospital, later of San Francesco di Paola and Santa Maria di Portosalvo, today Sant 'Anna at the Port.
Casalbore imagined that the pre-existing fountain served as a backdrop towards the sea and designed a series of avenues, flowerbeds, other fountains and monuments. But already in the following years other interventions were made and various changes introduced. The Villa, with various entrances, soon became one of the favorite meeting places of late nineteenth-century Salerno, also due to the simultaneous opening of the nearby municipal theatre. In the modern area of expansion of the city towards the sea, equipped with those new attractions, concerts and social events, much appreciated by the public, were organized on Saturdays and Sundays, much appreciated by the public.
Almost a century after its construction, following the unification of Italy, that fountain became the focal point of the green area project to be set up in the land obtained as part of the expansion and reorganization of the seafront. The engineers Bellini and Scodes designed the new Villa Comunale, but the Verdi Theater was instead built in the space identified at the time. The author of the garden was then the architect Renato Casalbore in 1872, who placed it where in the Middle Ages there were the complexes first of San Giovanni di Dio, with adjoining hospital, later of San Francesco di Paola and Santa Maria di Portosalvo, today Sant 'Anna at the Port.
Casalbore imagined that the pre-existing fountain served as a backdrop towards the sea and designed a series of avenues, flowerbeds, other fountains and monuments. But already in the following years other interventions were made and various changes introduced. The Villa, with various entrances, soon became one of the favorite meeting places of late nineteenth-century Salerno, also due to the simultaneous opening of the nearby municipal theatre. In the modern area of expansion of the city towards the sea, equipped with those new attractions, concerts and social events were organized on Saturdays and Sundays, much appreciated by the public.
Over time, various monuments were inserted, dedicated to illustrious figures from Salerno and united Italy: the first statue of Carlo Pisacane, the minister Giovanni Cuomo and the minister Nicotera, the latter being the only work in bronze. And in fact it had a different fate from the others, since during the Second World War it was melted down to make bullets. The one currently on display, therefore, is a copy of the original.
The first layout of the garden included the presence of numerous botanical species, especially from the Mediterranean area. But over time, first the destruction of the war, then a prolonged abandonment, significantly impoverished the arboreal heritage of the Villa. This long phase of degradation was interrupted by the careful restoration to which the villa was subjected both on an architectural and botanical level. In relation to this, rows of holm oaks and pines, both domestic and Aleppo, and specimens of Himalayan cedars and Washingtonia filifera were inserted, without neglecting the inclusion of numerous rare species, with the aim of making the Villa a botanical garden.
For some years, the Villa has become the fulcrum of the "Artist's Lights" event, which lights up the city with colors from November to January, coinciding with the Christmas holidays.
