Country Italy Comune Castel San Giorgio Demonym(s) Torellesi Population 563 (Mar 2012) Province Province of Salerno | Region Campania Elevation 126 m (413 ft) Time zone CET (UTC+1) Postal code 84083 Dialling code 81 | |
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Torello is an Italian village, one of eleven hamlets (frazioni) of the town of Castel San Giorgio, in the Province of Salerno, Campania.
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History
The toponym Torello most likely derives from the Latin words Turellum or Taurellus, respectively meaning small tower and small bull. Therefore, it might be a reference to an old medieval fortification in the area (maybe an outpost of the nearby St.George's castle) or the presence of cattle in the village. In the local Neapolitan dialect the village is referred to as Turiello, a very close match to the Latin Turellum (small tower).
The first written records of Torello are found in the Codex diplomaticus Cavensis, where in a notarial act from 1042 A.D. (VOL.6, 193) it is mentioned a place named Torellum near Siano within the borders of Nuceria (infra fines de Nucerie,[..] Torellum vocatur). From the same records we know that this was a rural fertile area with chestnut trees and orchards. The village lies at the foot of the north side of Monte castello, the hill on top of which it is still possible to visit the ruins of the ancient St. George's castle.
The Budetta, a family of Norman origin, were the most influential in this fief between the 11th and 14th centuries. They were descendants of Wirifrider one of the brave Norman knights who fought for the Norman conquest of Southern Italy. Between the 15th and 16th the noble families who owned this fief were the Pandone and Villani's.
Among the oldest families from this village, as documented in the local parish registers of the Saint Barbara's church with records starting from the 1500s, we found the Falco, Galluzzo, Amabile, Zambrano, Mazzariello, Costabile, Rescigno, and Capuano.
Geography
The village spans on a hill between Castel San Giorgio (1 km south) and Siano (2 km north). It is 2 km from Lanzara, 5 from Roccapiemonte, 6 from Mercato San Severino and 9 from Nocera Inferiore.