Famed as a production place of buffalo mozzarella, Battipaglia is the economic hub of the Sele plain. While its proximity to the Tyrrhenian Sea had prompted colonization at the hands of both ancient Greeks and Romans, the municipal area was granted autonomy status only in 1929. Due to its rail hub role, during WWII it was severely shelled by Allied artillery fire upon the execution of the Salerno landing. In the post-war period, however, the town witnessed notable demographic and economic growth.