Population: 5.8 million
Area: 13,595 sq Km (5248 sq mi)
Capital City: Naples
Provinces: Naples, Avellino, Benevento, Caserta, and Salerno with 551 communes
Official Website: Campania
Wikipedia: Campania
Map: Campania

Campagna (Campania), literally "countryside" in Italian, is on the south-west coast of Italy, sandwiched between Lazio Region to the north and the Region of Calabria to the south.

With a population of almost 6 million, the Campania Region is one of the most densely populated in Europe, even though, because of widespread poverty, millions of Campanians left the country and emigrated abroad, particularly to the United States, Canada.  As a result of this widespread dispersion, the Napalese dialect is the most recognized of all Italian dialects.

As Campanians have emigrated to other parts of the world, they have introduced some of their favorite foods, including mozzarella bufalo (from Buffalo milk), pizza and spaghetti. They also gave the world Sophia Loren!

Campania's capital city, Naples, and other major cities like Avalino, Salerno and Sorrento are important governmental, cultural and industrial centers in Italy, while the beautiful Amalfi Coast, south of Naples, deservedly hundreds of thousands of tourists every year, and has served as the backdrop for many a romantic movie.  Most recently, the town of Positano was featured in the film version of Under the Tuscan Sun.

Following the hair-raising coast road on the Amalfi peninsula you will encounter a sea-bound landscape of fragrant citrus orchards and flowering bougainvillea.  Take your time, explore, and look closely - the plunging coastline hides tiny fishing villages hugging hidden coves.

One of the "must sees" are the Gardens at Ravello.  Believe it when we say they are unbelievable!

If you don't want to drive, you can join a cruise in Naples, or charter your own boat and see the Amalfi Coast from the water, which is just as enchanting.  Make sure you visit the islands of Ichsia and Capri - two of the most exciting playgrounds of the world's rich and famous.

In Campania, take all the time you can.  Stop for a long lunch and a longer dinner to enjoy every mouthful of the stupendous local cuisine.  Try the  baked, stuffed artichokes (Carciofi ripeni all napoletana), dried figs on sticks (sproccolati) or the mouth-watering pizza.  You'll be offered a wide selection of wines, but don't leave without trying a cold glass of  limoncello, a local digestif made from lemons.

There are many social, historical and cultural highlights in Campania, including the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, both in the shadows of Mount Vesuvius.  East of Naples you will find the Royal Palace of Caserta.

Although not as many tourists travel south of Salerno, we recommend you take the time to do so, first to travel even further back in time when you visit the ancient Greek temple at Paestum, and second, to dip your toes into the Tyrrhenian Sea on the gorgeous beaches around Palinuro.

This is just a very cursory survey of what you can see and do in Campania - but there is much, much more.  Make sure you take time to consult other guidebooks and websites before visiting the Region - you can plan a trip that will suit you to a "T".