The Villanova neighbourhood can be found to the east of Castello. The area was already inhabited during Roman times, as is clear from the cistern system under piazza San Giacomo. In the XII century, it was inhabited by peasants who initially conducted business relations with the inhabitants of Castello and, at a later date, decided to move to and cultivate the land in the area.
Its agricultural leaning has remained over time; indeed, the name La Vega referring to the northern part of the neighbourhood, in Spanish “flat terrain”, bears witness to the continuation of areas set aside for cultivation. This is also reflected in the slim city wall in the neighbourhood and the kind of houses found there which are more modest and lower compared to the houses and buildings in other historical neighbourhoods.
The removal of the wall in the second half of the Nineteenth Century, made way for the expansion of the neighbourhood and the city itself, with the establishment of more modern neighbourhoods to the East.
Walking through its streets and lanes, you can come across fruit and vegetable sellers, small shops and workshops owned by silver craftsmen, carpenters and tanners, that have been opened in typical houses; there are still visible signs of the destruction caused by the Anglo-American bombings during the Second World War.
