Roman Catholic Diocese Agropoli
| Agropoli | |
|---|---|
| Comune | |
| Comune di Agropoli | |
Panoramic view
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 Agropoli within the Province of Salerno |
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 Agropoli
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| Coordinates: 40°21′N 14°59′E / 40.350°N 14.983°ECoordinates: 40°21′N 14°59′E / 40.350°N 14.983°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Campania |
| Province / Metropolitan city | Salerno (SA) |
| Frazioni | Frascinelle, Fuonti, Marotta, Mattine, Moio, Muoio, Madonna del Carmine, San Marco, Tarullo, Trentova |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Francesco Alfieri (PD) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 39 km2 (15 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 30 m (100 ft) |
| Population (31 December 2011) | |
| • Total | 20,610 |
| • Density | 530/km2 (1,400/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Agropolesi |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 84043 |
| Dialing code | 0974 |
| Patron saint | Sts. Peter and Paul |
| Saint day | June 29 |
| Website | Official website |
Agropoli is a town and comune, former bishopric and present Latin Catholic titular see located in the Cilento area of the province of Salerno, Campania, Italy. It is situated at the start of the Cilentan Coast, on the Tyrrhenian Sea.
As of 2011, its population was of 20,610.
The promontory on which Agropoli stands has been inhabited since Neolithic times. It seems, however, that it was not until the later Bronze and Iron Ages that it came to be continuously inhabited by a stable, indigenous population, which lived off hunting and fishing.
To the east of the promontory, at the mouth of the River Testene, there is a natural sheltered bay, called "Foce" in ancient times, but which is now almost completely silted up. Before and after the foundation of nearby Poseidonia (c. 625 BC), the Greeks used it for trading with the local people. They gave the promontory the Greek name, Petra ("rocky hill"), and built a temple on it, dedicated to Artemis, the Goddess of Hunting.
It has been established that in Roman times, on the coastal stretch, now known as San Marco, east of the promontory, and to the right of the Testene, a seaside town called "Ercula" developed and flourished between the 1st century BCE, and the 5th century CE. Meanwhile, the harbour of neighbouring Poseidonia (by then, renamed Paestum by the Romans) became progressively silted up by the process of coastal bradyseism.
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