Maiori was built in the 9th century by the Salernitan prince Sicard with the name of Rheginna Major to distinguish it from the neighboring town of Minori, called Rheginna Minor. They will keep this name until the beginning of the Suevi era, losing the epithet “Rheginna”, which came from the name of two rivers, one larger than the other. They continued to denominate Regina (Queen) and Reginella (Little Queen), for over the centuries finally take the names of Maiuri and Minuri.
Possession of Amalfi, whose history it shares, Maiori resisted for some time the surrender of Amalfi to the Norman. It was plundered in 1268 by the Pisans, rivals of the Amalfi Republic. Its merchant navy was flourishing, it was able to build large boats on her vast beach.
Maiori was decimated by the plague of 1656, its population reduced to 700 individuals. It had 4891 inhabitants in 1852. On October 26, 1954, the central urban core suffered a flood and the slopes of the Reginna Maior River collapsed causing many houses in its landslide.
The city lies in a beautiful plain, surrounded and defended by walls and towers, which were built from the ninth century and whose remains can be seen in many parts of the city. On the hill of Ponticchio, lie the ruins of the San Nicola Castle, which was built under the Piccolomini in 1468 and cost the city about 6000 ducas. It has the shape of an irregular polygon with eight dungeons and occupies an area of more than 7500 square meters.
