Longola archaeo-fluvial park

In the heart of the Sarno Valley, in the territory of Poggiomarino, lies the Longola Archaeo-Fluvial Park, one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of recent decades, the “Venice” of 3500 years ago.

Longola Archaeo-Fluvial Park is a unique site that offers the rare opportunity to explore an ancient village on the river dating back to theBronze Age, perfectly preserved thanks to the wet environment that has guarded its secrets for millennia.

The story of the discovery of this habitation is related to chance. In the fall of 2000, during work on the construction of a sewage treatment plant, ceramic fragments emerged from the marshy ground and, even more surprisingly, imposing wooden structures. The immediate intervention of archaeologists revealed an extraordinary reality: the marsh’s oxygen-deprived environment had acted as a time capsule, preserving perishable materials that usually disappear, such as wood from dwellings and boats. Investigations uncovered several phases of life, starting from the 2nd millennium B.C. and reaching as far back as the 6th century B.C., revealing a village that controlled trade between the hinterland and the sea.

The “Venice” of Protohistory: The Park of Longola

What makes Longola exceptional is its unique construction system, so much so that it has earned it the nickname “Venice of 3500 years ago.” The village did not stand on the mainland, but on a series of artificial islets created by reclaiming the marsh and consolidating the land with thousands of oak piles. These platforms were surrounded by a dense network of navigable canals, which constituted the real roads of the community: travel was done by gliding over the water in pirogues carved from a single log, some of which have been found intact and are now an invaluable artifact for understanding ancient navigation.

Today the site is presented as an archaeological-naturalistic park where history dialogues with the landscape. Visitors do not just observe ruins, but walk through a faithful reconstruction of the ancient living environment. Thanks to experimental archaeology, protohistoric huts have been rebuilt using the same techniques and materials of the time: wood, straw and clay. It is possible to enter these dwellings, observe domestic hearths and furnishings, gaining a concrete understanding of how the daily life of the people who inhabited the Sarno Valley before Roman rule was carried out.

The tour route winds through a system of elevated wooden walkways that cross the wetland, immersing visitors in the flora and fauna typical of the marsh ecosystem, amidst reeds and pools of water. Along the way, educational panels illustrate the stages of excavation and village life, while special areas display replicas of boats.