The city is well-known as thermal center as well as through its shipyards. The origin of the city's name is a medieval castle. The city was destroyed together with Pompeii and Herculaneum by the  vulcanic eruption of the Vesuvius 79 after Christ.
Castellammare is located in the southern province of Naples, in the area between the end of the beginning of the Vesuvius area and Sorrentine Peninsula. The town lies in a volcanic-alluvial plain, in a basin of the Gulf of Naples, protected on the south by the chain of mountains Lattari, while to the east is lost in the countryside crossed by the Sarno River, which flows into the sea of ​​Castellammare.
It is these natural elements mark the border with the neighboring cities: the Sarno River divides the town because of Torre Annunziata and Pompeii Stabiese north, Mount Faito from Vico Equense and Positano in the south. East of the city adjacent to Sant'Antonio Abate and Santa Maria la Carità, while the west coast appears to be the
The origins of Castellammare are lost in the mists of time and are still uncertain, although some findings documenting that the area was inhabited since the VIII century BC. Due to its favorable location on the sea, in an area rich in water and fertile plains of volcanic origin, the first settlements went into developing what is now known as the hill of Varano, then a spur overlooking the sea since the plain where now stands the present city was still partly submerged by the sea and the narrow coastline was exposed to enemy attacks exists.
Several were the rulers as that of the Sunnis followed later by the Etruscans and the Greeks: the name of this settlement was Stabiae.
The origins of the name Castellammare are very clear: if it is easier to understand the choice of Stabiae (derived from the ancient Roman city), the harder it is to understand the why of Castellammare. Castellammare is named after the ancient castle built by the Duchy of Sorrento overlooking from a height of about 100 meters above the Bay of Naples. Erroneously says that the sea came under the castle, but given the height at which this hypothesis is that it is virtually impossible: the explanation of the name is clear from ancient documents in which the locations were identified with the name of the castles. In this case, this castle overlooking the sea was said castle by the sea (or sea), and Castello a Mare. Others mistakenly argue that the name derives from the ancient Castellammare presence of a fortress built in the locality Pozzano, on the beach, to defend the ancient city from attacks from the Sorrento peninsula and called Portocarello tower, known by most people, erroneously, with the Alfonsina tower name instead stood near today's Piazza Fontana Grande. Immediately after the war, near the Tower of Portocarello, settled lime and cement plant that took advantage of the limestone taken from the adjacent mountain, destroying the remains of this ancient tower.
The first time you find a document in the name of Castrum ad mare is 1086. The town, already Castellamare, took the name of Castellammare by Royal Decree of 22 January 1863, while the final name of Castellammare took place in May 1912