NOLA, an ancient city and see of Campania, Italy, province of Naples, pleasantly situated in the plain between Mount Vesu vius and Apennines, 164 m. E.N.E. of Naples by rail, 121 ft. above sea-level. Pop. (1921) 8,333 (town) ; 15,672 (commune). There is an ancient Gothic cathedral with its lofty tower. July 26 is devoted to a great festival in honour of St. Paulinus (q.v.). The church erected by him in honour of St. Felix in the 4th cen tury is extant in part. Giordano Bruno (q.v.) was born at Nola in 1548. The Etruscans were in Nola about 500 B.c. They helped Neapolis against the Roman invasion (328 B.c.). The Romans made themselves masters of it in 313 B.C. In the Social War it was betrayed into the hands of the Samnites. Sulla in 8o B.C. sub jected it with the rest of Samnium. Seven years later it was stormed by Spartacus. Nola became a Roman colony under Augustus, who died there. It was sacked by Genseric in 455, by
the Saracens in 8o6 and 904, captured by Manfred in the 13th century, and damaged by earthquakes in the 15th and i6th.
Nola lay on the Via Popillia from Capua to Nuceria and the south, and a branch road ran from it to Abella and Abellinum. While independent it issued an important series of coins, and in luxury it vied with Capua. Its territory was very fertile. A large number of vases of Greek style were manufactured here of pale yellow clay with shining black glaze, decorated with skilfully drawn red figures. Of the ancient city, numerous ruins, an amphi theatre, still recognizable, a theatre, a temple of Augustus, etc., existed in the i6th century. The neighbourhood was divided into pagi or villages, the names of some of which are preserved to us (Pagus Agrifanus, Capriculanus, Lanitanus). (T. A.)