Borgo San Matteo (Terravecchia)

Borgo San Matteo (or Terravecchia) is the oldest soul of Sarno, where medieval alleys overlap with traces of the monumental Claudio Aqueduct. From this panoramic rise, the gaze connects the entire Sarno Valley, following the river’s historic course to the horizon dominated by the majestic silhouette of Vesuvius.

Perched on the slopes of Mount Saretto, Borgo San Matteo, also known historically by the evocative name of Terravecchia, is a nucleus of stone houses and paved alleys that represents the first medieval settlement of the city of Sarno.

The origins of the village are linked precisely to the need for protection: in fact, the village was born as a fortified settlement at the foot of Sarno Castle, the ancient fortress built in the 8th century. Around this garrison developed the “Terravecchia,” a tangle of houses leaning against each other that still constitute the typical physiognomy of the neighborhood.

A core of faith and history

The centerpiece of the village’s spiritual life is the Church of St. Matthew, built in 1280. The building, with its pointed arch portal that mixes Gothic and Byzantine references, houses inside a fresco of the Greek Madonna and a plaque attesting to its primacy as the town’s first parish.

The church dialogues closely with the nearby Shrine of Mary Most Holy of the Three Crowns, forming a single nucleus in which religiosity and urban history are intertwined. The shrine is dedicated to Our Lady under a title that expresses her triple dignity as Queen, Mother and Protectress; having become the patron saint of the city in the 18th century, the Virgin of the Three Crowns still represents the strongest spiritual bond for the inhabitants of Sarno.

Walking through the alleys, one also steps on traces of an even more remote past. In fact, the village stands on the route of the monumental Claudian Aqueduct, the Roman infrastructure that brought water to Campania. If you sharpen your eyesight, you can see remains of cisterns and ancient pipelines embedded in the foundations of houses, a sign of a millennia-old continuity of habitation.

The “Living Picture” and the waters of Rio Palazzo

The visitor experience reaches its peak by looking out over the valley. From up here, the landscape appears to the visitor like a large living picture: at a single glance, the elegant quiet of the island of Capri, the continuous movement of Castellammare, the timeless history of Pompeii and, in the background, the imposing profile of Vesuvius that watches over everything coexist. The atmosphere is so charged with suggestion that an ancient folk belief says that passing through this place with an open mind leads to receiving illuminations or valuable suggestions on one’s life path.

Just beyond the built-up area, the itinerary reveals a final natural wonder: the pristine spring of the Sarno di Rio Palazzo. At this point, the water gushes crystal clear directly from the base of an ancient mansion, offering a spectacle of purity and freshness that contrasts with the urbanization of the valley.

To complete the visit, two important cultural centers are located a short distance from the village. The National Archaeological Museum of the Sarno Valley, housed in the prestigious Palazzo Capua, an essential stop to understand the historical roots of the territory from Prehistory to the Middle Ages, and the MuDIF (Educational Museum of Photography), an archive documenting the history and transformations of the territory through thousands of images.