Prehistory Excavations at
Nola-Croce del Papa have uncovered extensive evidence of a small village quickly abandoned at the time of the
Avellino Eruption in the 17th century BC. This powerful eruption from
Mount Vesuvius caused the inhabitants to leave behind a wide range of pottery and other artefacts. The foundations of their buildings are also preserved in imprints among the mud left by the eruption.
Antiquity from a Roman tomb at Nola (
British Museum) Nola was one of the oldest cities of
Campania, with its most
ancient coins bearing the name
Nuvlana. It was later said to have been founded by the
Ausones, who were certainly occupying the city by BC. It once vied in luxury with
Capua. During the
Roman invasion of Campania in the
Samnite War in 328 BC, Nola was probably occupied by the
Oscans in alliance with the
Samnites. Nola sent 2000 troops to defend
Naples against the Romans (Paleopolis/Neapolis) in 327 BC. The Romans took Nola in 313 BC after setting fire to buildings near the city walls. Under Roman rule during
Hannibal's invasion of Italy amid the
Second Punic War, the city was the site of the
1st,
2nd, and
3rd Battles of Nola. On two occasions (215 and 214 BC), it was defended by
Marcellus. In 90 BC it fell by treason to the Samnites during the
Social War. In 89 BC,
Sulla routed the rebel army near Pompeii, chased them to Nola and there massacred 20,000 rebels at the
Battle of Nola in front of the walls, starting a ten year
siege. It was stormed in 73-72 BC by
Spartacus during his failed slave revolt. The 1st c. BC saw a number of public buildings constructed including the
amphitheatre. The
emperor Augustus died nearby at
his sumptuous villa at
Somma Vesuviana on 19 August AD 14, in allegedly the same room
his father died in 72 years earlier. Augustus and
Vespasian settled
colonies in the area. In the
Roman road network, Nola lay between
Capua and
Lower Nocera on the
Via Popilia. A branch road ran from it to
Abella and
Avellino. Nola was connected to the plentiful water supply of the
Serino aqueduct after 20 BC. Though a relative backwater, Nola retained its status as a '
, its own institutions, and the use of the Oscan language. It was divided into ', the names of some of which are preserved: '
, ', ''''. The discoveries of the pavement of the ancient city have not been noted with sufficient care to recover most of the plan, but a large number of
Grecian vases were made at Nola, using its fine yellow clay and a shining black glaze. They are decorated with red figures. Following the
rise of Christianity, it became a
bishopric. One bishop, the Christian
senator Paulinus, is traditionally credited with the introduction of the use of
bells to Christian worship. His small handbells were subsequently known as
s for his seat and the larger tower bells as
s from the surrounding area. ==Sights==