Ancient sea seaside resort now full of services and attractions for tourists, is located at the southern end of the Gulf of Salerno and the northern edge of the Cilento Coast.
The old town is situated on a promontory in the domain of a picturesque bay, the Byzantines in the sixth century found shelter and called Acropolis, or city that is set up, offers an intimate and charming atmosphere, with its quaint streets and narrow, and with its wonderfully preserved corners.
Important coastal town located in the Cilento, near the Western National Park Cilento and Vallo di Diano Alburni, on the Tyrrhenian Sea at the southern end of the Gulf of Salerno and south of the Sele.
The territory of Agropoli was attended by people from the Neolithic period dedicated to hunting and fishing.
At the mouth of the river Testene in the past there was a bay, which was used by the Greeks to trade, both before and after the founding of the nearby Poseidon (Paestum). On the nearby hill, which was named "Petra", was built a temple dedicated to Artemis, the mid-seventh century BC
In Roman times, from the first century BC attest to the presence of a small seaside town, Ercula, in the vicinity of the San Marco waterfront, intended to serve as a port for the nearby Paestum, whose port was sinking.
Following the invasions of the Vandals in the fifth century the village was abandoned as difficult to defend and the inhabitants moved to the nearby promontory. Between 535 and 553 with the greek-Gothic War, the Byzantines placed a stronghold, which became known as the Acropolis ("high city").
At the end of the sixth century the fortress was home to the Bishop of Paestum, who took refuge there to escape the Lombards. Agropoli is expanded with the arrival of refugees from the Byzantine Lucania and became the seat of its own bishopric.
In 882 the Byzantines were expelled by the Saracens, who built a ribat (new fort): here departed from the attacks of its neighbors to Salerno. In 915 the Saracens were driven and Agropoli back in the hands of bishops, who meanwhile had settled in Capaccio. The bishops ruled the city throughout the medieval period, along with centers Ogliastro and heritage, and small villages Lucolo, Mandrolle, Noodles, San Marco in Agropoli and St. Peter's heritage, which made up the estate of Agropoli.
In 1412 the ecclesiastical fiefs of Agropoli and Castellabate were given by Pope Gregory XII to King Ladislas of Durant (1386-1414) as partial payment of some debts accumulated over several wars. Alfonso of Aragon granted, July 20, 1436 the fiefs of Agropoli and Castellabate to John Sanseverino, already Count of Marsico and Baron of Cilento, who was to pay as compensation to the bishops of Capaccio 12 ounces of gold annually. Only in 1443 the king took possession of the territory.
Subsequently, Agropoli passed under the dominion of several dynasties, between 1505 and 1507 Rodrigo Avalos marquis of Vasto and later, until 1552 the Sanseverino.
Following the loss of all his possessions by the Prince Ferrante, the last representative of Sanseverino, accused of treason in 1553, Agropoli passed to D'Ayerbo of Aragon, in 1564 for Grimaldi, in 1597 to Arcella Caracciolo in 1607 to Mendoza, in 1626 the principles of Roccadaspide Filomarino already, in 1650 to Mastrillo, who alternated for a short period with Zazzero of Aragon. The Sanfelici, dukes of Laureana, retained power over the town until the abolition of the feudal system.
Only during the nineteenth century Agropoli began to expand beyond the old town.
Between 1811 and 1860, the district Torchiara, belonging to the district of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Vallo.
From 1860 to 1927, during the Kingdom of Italy was part of the district of Torchiara, belonging to the district of Vallo della Lucania.
Currently, the main economic activities are tourism, trade and services, while in the past this role belonged to agriculture and fishing.
The local economy is based mainly on service industries, which is accompanied by a system of micro-craft related prevalences in construction and small manufacturing productions mostly addressed to the local market, as well as a collection of small farms run mainly family.