CAVA DEI TIRRENI

cava dei tirreni, a town and episcopal see of campania, italy, in the province of salerno, 6 m. n.w. by rail from the town of salerno. pop. (1901) town, 7611; commune, 23,415. it lies fairly high in a richly cultivated valley, surrounded by wooded hills, and is a favourite resort of foreigners in spring and autumn, and of the neapolitans in summer. a mile to the south-west is the village of corpo di cava (1970 ft.), with the benedictine abbey of la trinita della cava, founded in 1025 by st alferius. the church and the greater part of the buildings were entirely modernized in 1796. the old gothic cloisters are preserved. the church contains a fine organ and several ancient sarcophagi. the archives, now national property, include documents and mss. of great value (e.g. the _codex legum longobardorum_ of 1004) and fine _incunabula_. the abbot is keeper, and also head of a boarding school. see m. morcaldi, _codex diplomaticus cavensis_ ( naples and milan, 1873-1893).