How do you say "countryside" in Italian? "Campagna", which is pronounced "cam-pan-ya".

What is the region south of Rome's province of Lazio called? "Campania". Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. Actually probably not. Back in the time that my lot were still running the place (that is, during the Roman era) the Campania area was a rich pastoral and agricultural area. For example the area around the Bay of Naples was quite fertile, having been fed by Vesuvius. As the people of Pompeii and Herculaneum found out to their cost. Now, perhaps it is less so, but it's still more rural than urban to the south with the notable exception of Naples, capital of Campania and both one of the most bizarre and fascinating cities I've yet encountered.

It is in my view entirely possible that one word at least influenced the other.

Despite brief visits to the island of Capri and one evening in Sorrento, sadly we didn't get any time to experience the other major drawcard of the region, the Amalfi Coast on the southern side of the Bay of Naples.