 torre del greco (english: "tower of the greek") is a city and comune in the province of naples just south of naples in the italian region of campania, with a population of some 88,000 as of 2007. people are sometimes called corallini because of the once plentiful coral in the nearby sea, and because the city has been a major producer of coral jewellery and cameo brooches since the seventeenth century. ==history== ===ancient and medieval period=== historically part of magna graecia, the area was first colonised by ancient greek settlers. in roman times, torre del greco was probably a suburb of herculaneum, characterized by patricians villas. after the 79 ad eruption of mount vesuvius which destroyed the area, two villages are known to have existed in the area, sora and calastro. the byzantine general belisarius moved their inhabitants to naples in 535. around 700, it is also known as turris octava, the latin for the tower of eight [sides] or the eighth tower, probably referring to a coastal watch tower. torre del greco's five-a-side football team is called turris octava {www.turrisoctava.it}. in 880 the territory was settled by the saracens, with the permission of bishop athanasius of naples. the current name appears for the first time in 1015; according to tradition, it stems from a greek hermit who took up residence in the tower, or from the cultivation of a particular vine from greece. ===the middle ages=== torre del greco was part of the royal estates of the kingdom of naples, until king [[alfo
Cities_and_towns_in_Campania Communes_of_the_Province_of_Naples Mediterranean_port_cities_and_towns_in_Italy