Secondigliano
Secondigliano is a suburb in the north of Naples, Campania, Italy. It is part of the 7th municipality of Naples, along with the suburbs of Miano and San Pietro a Patierno.
An ancient rural farmhouse, first mentioned in 1113, developed thanks to its strategic location along major communication routes.
Annexed to Naples in 1926, it experienced significant urbanization in the post-war period. Today, it is a densely populated district with a diverse urban fabric and a strong historical identity.
Geography
Secondigliano lies between San Pietro a Patierno and Scampia. It borders to the northwest with the suburb of Scampia, to the west with the suburb of Miano, to the south with the suburbs of San Carlo all'Arena and San Pietro a Patierno, to the north with the comune of Arzano, and to the northeast with the comune of Casavatore.Piazza Capodichino marks the beginning of the route that, along Corso Secondigliano towards the Limitone di Arzano, intersects on the right with the Strada Comunale del Cassano. The latter, starting from Perrone, delineates the boundary between the territory of Secondigliano proper and the district of San Pietro a Patierno, as well as the municipality of Casavatore.
To the north, the border between Secondigliano and the municipality of Arzano is marked by the small church of San Gennaro, known as San Gennariello, located next to the farmhouse formerly owned by the Marquis of Montanaro, and by the chapel known as La Bruna. In front of the entrance to Perrone, a road leads to the district of Miano, where the ancient Parascandolo estate was once located; until the 19th century, this route led to the Dominican monastery of Madonna dell'Arco in Miano.
Secondigliano is predominantly situated on flat terrain, at an altitude of approximately above sea level, covering an area of. It is located about three miles from the Historic Centre of Naples and two kilometers from the comune of Casoria, which served as its district and administrative seat until the late 19th century.
Etymology
The etymology of the toponym Secondigliano has given rise to various interpretations over time, reflecting the area's historical and cultural richness.One of the most widely accepted theories suggests that the name derives from the Latin phrase secundus miliarium, meaning "second mile." Thus, Secondigliano would be a contraction of "secondo" and "miglio", referring to the district's location two miles from the city's center, as marked by the second milestone of the Via Atellana or Via Capuana. This was an important Campanian road established during the Osco-Etruscan-Samnite period, connecting Capua with Atella and Naples, passing through Capodichino and Secondigliano.
Alternatively, according to some historians, the name may originate from the Roman gens ''Secondii or Secondilii.
Some scholars also suggest that the toponym could derive from the Colli Secondili, geographical elevations located in the northern part of the district, indicating a topographical connection to the surrounding territory. Although less widespread, this hypothesis adds a geophysical dimension to the origin of the name.
The earliest official documentary mention of the name dates back to October 19, 1113, during the seventh indiction, under the reign of Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. A lease contract from that time refers to a property located in a place called Villa Secundillani. This villa was a royal hamlet of the city of Naples. Moreover, the source praised the area for being a plain with pure air. Later, in documents from the reign of Charles II of Anjou, the place is mentioned as Secundillyanum. In the archbishop's holy visit of August 29, 1542, it is referred to as Casale Secondigliani, while in the visit of June 3, 1612, it appears as Secundigliani. A volume from 1640 records the name as Secondilliano and Secondigliano''. These linguistic variations attest to the phonetic and morphological evolution of the toponym over the centuries.
History
The original nucleus of Secondigliano corresponds to the current area bounded by Piazza Zanardelli, Via dell'Arco, Via Gaetano Enrico, and Via Vittorio Emanuele III. Since the period of Spanish rule, the village has been recognized as a prosperous agricultural center, characterized by extensive orchards and vineyards, although its wine production was of modest quality. This agricultural village, which maintained its vocation until the 1950s, also served as a vacation destination for those, especially from the historic city of Naples, who sought respite or wished to benefit from its favorable climate.Among the scholars who have studied Secondigliano, Domenico Chianese, in 1938, included it among the 37 hamlets annexed to the city of Naples, which enjoyed specific privileges and prerogatives. More specifically, he classified it among the 10 hamlets located beyond the Capodichino hill. Ambrosi, on the other hand, described the village as situated 99 meters above sea level, characterized by healthy air and a population noted for its exceptional longevity. He also highlighted the presence of wide, well-paved, and regularly arranged streets, as well as an abundance of fountains, with water sourced from the Serino aqueduct and efficiently distributed to all households. Finally, he reaffirmed that the area had existed since at least the 8th century.
15th Century
The area was a feudal holding in the Middle Ages, then a Casale and was not part of the city of Naples until the Fascist period.The reorganization of Naples' casali was initiated following the Angevin reclamation of the Paduli, a vast marshland extending from the hills of Capodichino to Poggioreale, within the pagliese territory. This reclamation project, which targeted both royal agricultural lands and those already enfeoffed, aimed to foster the development of previously uninhabited or unproductive areas. In this context, a significant portion of Secondigliano’s territory underwent canalization interventions.
The reclamation efforts continued during the Aragonese period, between 1451 and 1458, with a focus not only on draining the marshes but also on regulating water flow through an advanced canalization system. During this phase, geometric land divisions emerged as part of rural rationalization, shaping the layout of the Censi. The morphology of the area was thus influenced by both water management and the fragmentation of original land ownership into smaller units.
By the late 15th century, the city of Naples encompassed 43 casali, including Secondigliano. These settlements were distinguished by their thriving production of linen and silk, which were processed locally before being transported to Naples. Similarly, agricultural goods—including wheat, fruit, and their derivatives such as wine and bread—were processed within the masserie, ensuring the sustenance of the local population. However, a substantial portion of these resources constituted a tribute to the Kingdom. Additionally, each casale was required to maintain a slaughterhouse, while animal products such as milk, cheese, and meat were traded both in Naples' markets and within designated areas of the casale itself.
16th Century: From Hamlet to ''Casale''
Before officially acquiring the status of a casale, Secondigliano was referred to as a caseggiato, a term reflecting its common origins with other casali—settlements that emerged for economic purposes and were characterized by a limited number of dwellings scattered irregularly across the territory. Among these, certain noble residences stood out, shaping a settlement akin to a small borough. It was only through an administrative reorganization that the caseggiato was formally recognized as a casale.Throughout both phases of its development, Secondigliano’s population primarily consisted of artisans and farmers, bound by servitude to the royal court or the kingdom’s noble families. The transition from caseggiato to casale was marked by an exemption from the focatico tax—a levy imposed on each household unit. This exemption, initiated during the Aragonese period and completed in 1505 under Ferdinand II of Aragon, was a pivotal moment in Secondigliano’s growth.
The abolition of this tax led to a significant demographic increase. While still economically dependent on the ruling class, the inhabitants leveraged available resources to acquire arable land and build their own homes. This transformation profoundly impacted the local agricultural system, ushering in a new phase of economic and social development.
At the time, Naples developed within its city walls, while the surrounding rural areas were progressively divided into casali. Historian Pietro Summonte, in his work on Naples and its kingdom, identified 37 casali, known in Latin as vichi or paghi, which were administratively linked to the city and enjoyed specific privileges or civil immunities. These casali were distributed across four areas: along the coast, in the hinterland, between Capodichino and Capodimonte, and on the slopes of Posillipo.
The first substantial development of Secondigliano, which until then had been isolated by dense vegetation, coincided with the construction of the Capodichino Road. This road, the main entrance to Naples at the time, facilitated trade and communication between the city and the northern plains. The project was carried out during the Viceroyalty of Pedro Téllez-Girón, 1st Duke of Osuna. Before 1585, Secondigliano was largely inaccessible, and contemporary descriptions of the Capodichino area depicted it as a forested zone plagued by brigands.
Nevertheless, the earliest settlement in Secondigliano dates back to the 8th century, centered around the Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian. Originally built in the same period, the church was almost entirely reconstructed in 1695 and is located in today’s Piazza Luigi di Nocera—historically known as Piazza del Casale. Secondigliano was officially listed among the casali of Naples under Charles I of Anjou and Charles II of Naples but was absent from records under Frederick II of Swabia.
During the medieval period, the governance of the casale was based on feudal relations. The land was owned by monastic orders or nobles and was leased to prominent families of the kingdom for cultivation and settlement. These families, in turn, sublet portions of the land to local farmers, who produced only enough to sustain themselves, while the landowners and primary leaseholders benefited from agricultural yields.
By the 12th century, this system was already well established in Secondigliano, shaping its urban morphology and architectural characteristics—some of which remain visible today. However, the true expansion of the casale only began in the late 16th century, following the opening of the Capodichino Road in 1585.
These feudal arrangements also influenced the structure of the masserie, which were not merely residential buildings or agricultural estates but comprehensive agricultural units. The first tier of the feudal lease system involved the landowner granting the entire estate to leaseholders, while the second tier saw leaseholders subdivide the estate among farmers, who were given plots of land, housing units, and farming equipment.