The Sarno River is the symbol of a thousand-year history, a waterway that unites archaeological sites, ancient traditions and the memory of local people who have always linked their existence to its course.
The Sarno River is a central, millennia-old feature of the landscape of Campania, extending its catchment area over three provinces (Salerno, Naples, Avellino) and representing a vital artery for the surrounding area since pre-Roman times.
Although not very long (about 24 km), it was a key communication route that served as an inland “port” for the people of the area, allowing the exchange of goods vital to cities such as ancient Pompeii. Like other major waterways, the Sarno was also worshipped as a river deity, as evidenced by the famous Fonte Helvius in Sant’Egidio del Monte Albino, where a bas-relief from the first century B.C. recalls the spiritual bond that united the peoples of the time with the river.
Over the centuries, the Sarno has continued to influence the local economy, feeding numerous mills and promoting activities such as fishing and, in medieval and modern times, the cultivation of hemp in the characteristic “fusare” (artificial lakes). However, its course has been subjected to continuous anthropic modifications in an attempt to tame the river and exploit its every resource, profoundly altering its balance.
Beginning in the seventeenth century, with the construction of barrages (such as the famous Scafati crossing) and artificial canals, a long phase began that drastically reduced navigability and caused the flooding of vast areas. The most incisive intervention occurred in the nineteenth century, with the rectification of the lower Sarno, a massive work aimed at the reclamation and sanitation of the valley, but which inevitably distorted the natural course.
Rio Foce in Sarno: a valuable area between landscape and spirituality
Rio Foce is located northwest of the city of Sarno, where the waterway becomes visible again, and is a prime vantage point on the river’s naturalistic and scenic richness. Here a varied landscape opens up, in which the river flows slowly through deciduous forests and meadows, crossed by streams and small canals. The name “Foce” is not derived from the river’s marine mouth, as one might think, but from the Latin term “faux, faucis,” which indicated the ancient narrow passage between mountains and watercourse that characterized this place.
In this area stands the ancient Shrine of Santa Maria della Foce, a place deeply connected to the history and faith of the area since the story of its origins.
According to medieval legend, in 553 A.D. the Byzantine general Narses, returning victorious from a battle along the Sarno River, witnessed the Virgin appear to a group of women who were drawing water at the spring. An early Christian temple was erected in memory of the event. Over the centuries the shrine was rebuilt several times: in the 12th century St. William of Vercelli worked there, and after floods and eruptions, new structures were erected. The present church, with a single nave, preserves 18th-century frescoes by Father Aurelio Balzani and, on the high altar, a wooden statue of the Madonna and Child (16th century), an object of special devotion.
Traces of the ancient village and the remains of a pagan shrine discovered in the mid-20th century remain outside the shrine. The intimate atmosphere makes the visit an experience of quiet, memory and spirituality.
Even today, in August, the nocturnal pilgrimage that once accompanied the Mid-August Fair, one of the oldest traditions of the Sarnese territory, is renewed.
From a naturalistic point of view, the Rio Foce area is home to numerous species of waterfowl and the typical fauna of inland waterways in Campania. Along the banks, not far from the sanctuary, is the 5 Senses River Park, a redeveloped area in the vicinity of the Acquedotto Campano structures and the river bed. During warm weather it is pleasant to stand on the benches facing the river, listening to the flow of the water and the light filtering through the vegetation. In autumn, the park is colored with warm hues, transforming into an evocative place to admire the foliage and the scents of the forest.
