Felix, Paulinus and the Origins of Christianity in Campania

On Saturday, March 16th, at 6 PM, in the basilical complex of Cimitile, at via Madonnelle n. 5, a conference titled "Felix, Paulinus and the Origins of Christianity in Campania" is scheduled. Speakers include: Filomena Balletta, mayor of Cimitile; Anna Mercogliano, cultural and educational councillor of Cimitile; Elia Alaia, president of the Third Millennium Goal association; Giovanni De Riggi, church history professor at Issr "Duns Scotus" Nola; Carlo Ebanista, professor of Christian and medieval archaeology at the University of Molise; Tonia Solpietro, director of the cultural heritage office of the diocese of Nola; Iolanda Donnarumma, researcher in Christian and medieval archaeology at the University of Molise. The coordination will be by Felice Napolitano, president of the Cimitile Award Foundation. The event, organized by the municipality of Cimitile in collaboration with the Cimitile Award Foundation, is co-financed by the Poc Campania 2014-2020. Urban regeneration, policies for tourism and culture. A unified program of cultural, naturalistic and enogastronomic tourist paths of national and international scope that aims to promote the social and cultural development of the Nola area, starting from the riches of the municipality of Cimitile represented by the great archaeological and religious heritage of the early Christian basilicas. The meeting will be preceded at 4:30 PM by a guided tour of the basilical complex which, due to its exceptional wealth of monuments, encompasses a unique combination of art, archaeology, and faith in southern Italy. The extraordinary charm of the place is determined by the presence of seven places of worship that arose around the tomb of the priest Felix, buried in the necropolis north of Nola towards the end of the 3rd century. The few accounts of the deeds of Saint Felix are handed down by Paulinus of Nola, who enriched the sanctuary that arose around the revered tomb of the martyr, in today's Cimitile, with places of worship and precious decorations (marbles, mosaics, and frescoes). The figure of Felix made a significant contribution to the Christianization of the Nola countryside, favoring the development of an extensive network of sacred buildings more or less directly linked to the saint, whose cult is still particularly felt in Cimitile, Nola, and Pomigliano d'Arco. With the aim of enhancing the cultural heritage of the territory, the municipality of Cimitile, in collaboration with the Cimitile Award Foundation, has devised the project Felix, Paulinus and the Origins of Christianity, focused on an integrated system of activities that includes support for research and study in various cultural sectors, the promotion of initiatives aimed at scientific information, the formation of cultural and economic partnerships between the cities of the territory, the creation of new employment opportunities for the local population in the tourism sector, and the definition of new and effective dissemination strategies that combine humanistic culture and web languages. Conceived as a container of paths functional to increase the tourist flow, the project aims to involve a very wide audience (adults, families, teachers and teaching staff, students, pilgrims, trade associations, social workers, etc.) with an offer capable of strengthening the attractiveness of Cimitile on the Italian and foreign tourism market, with particular attention to religious and school tourism. Tourists are offered the opportunity to immerse themselves in a multifaceted reality where the art and culture of the basilical complex frame the spirituality and traditions of the territory. As part of this project, the municipality of Cimitile intends to promote events on the theme of religious tourism, digital communications for the sponsorship of services (TV commercials, social media, press), educational workshops for students, painting exhibitions, a food and wine route with tastings of local products, and guided tours at night.