Knock, knock, you've got mail!: AFRAGOLA, ITALY

Afragola and the Naples area

On Thursday the 28th we received our first letters from our pen friends from Italy, Afragola, Naples. We were so happy. Our first letters from Italy. So we started looking for information to learn more about them and where they live. Through our research we made some connections. Greek love making connections! You will find out soon.

Afragola Herald and the Municipality of the city.

We found out that Afragola, Naples, in the area of Campania Italy, is a city of 63.000 inhabitants which was founded in the middle ages, although they also archeological findings which prove that the the area was inhabited since the Bronze Age. It was inhabited by ancient Italic people called Samnites. At some point Samnites alied with the Greek King Pyrrhus, King of Epirus against the Romans until King Pyrrhus left and the Romans invaded the area.

Map of the area

What we found really interesting though is the following:
The surrounding area, Naples, Cumae and the island of Ischia, in the Gulf of Napoli. Why we found intersting the facts we found? During the second Greek colonisation in the Meditarranean area, in the 8th century B.C., organised groups o people, with ships of those times, left the Greek island of Evia, from the cities of Cymi (Cumae) and Chalkida, and founded colonies in many places. One of those places was the island of Ischia opposite Naples. Later on they founded the city of Cumae and later on the 4th to the 3rd centrury B.C the city of Naples. The Greeks who settled in the area, brought with them the alphabet and technology. This is also sited in Virgil, who says that Daedalus, after he fled from Crete, he landed in the area, and as an archmechanic, he taught Italic people of the area how to use technology. Even though this is a myth, we know that myths always have some hidden historical facts.

The island of Ischia

Why is this interesting? Some other people, from the island of Evia, the city of Chalkida, with their ships, in the 7th century B.C., founded the ancient Akanthos, which is the ancient name of the area our school is, Ierissos! Who knows, an ancient link might be hiding there between us. Do you think that could really be? We can't wait to hear your side of the story. And of course the modern facts of the city of Afragola.