Aversa

Aversa, a town of Southern Italy, in the province of Caserta, 12½ miles by rail N. of Naples, in a beautiful district rich in oranges and wine. It is well built, and has a cathedral and a number of monasteries, in one of which Andrew of Hungary, the Darnley of Neapolitan history, was murdered with the connivance of his wife, the beautiful but guilty Joanna, queen of Naples; it has also an excellent asylum for the insane, established by Murat, and a foundling hospital. Aversa was built in 1029 by the Normans. About two miles from Aversa are a few ruins of Atella, famous as the birthplace of the satirical farces so popular on the Roman stage (see ATELLANÆ). Pop. 20,183.