Salerno's history dates from its establishment as a Roman town in about 194 BC. It is located on a natural harbour which facilitated trade from ancient times to the present.

Like other cities and towns in southern Italy, Salerno has been washed over by succeeding dynasties and empires, all of which have had an influence on the evolution of the city, physically and culturally. After the Romans, the Samnites, followed by the Saracens and Lombards, and of course the Byzantines and Normans. In 794 AD, a Byzantine Monastery spawned the oldest university in Europe, which was the most important medical school in medieval Europe, the Schola Medica Salernitana. This school evolved into the University of Salerno with two campuses where over 40,000 students study every year.

During the second world war, Salerno was chosen by western allied forces as a landing site for the Italian campaign. Salerno, for about five months, played the role of capital in the forming of a new Italian State.

Salerno is a fascinating example of what the Mediterranean has to offer all those who wish to have a closer knowledge of it. The town presents itself as a friendly comunity to visitors and tourists from all over the world. Night-life takes place right here in the old town. The town hall has made the opening of many restaurants and places of entertainment possible. At weekends the many pubs are filled with youngsters till the early hours. In the summer however, people prefer the fresh air of the seafront which is just a few metres away. The coast is also not short of discotheques and places of entertainment.