ENGLISH * AVELLINO
RINGED
BY MOUNTAINS THE PARTENIO (1486 METRES) AND THE TERMINIO (1800 METRES) STAND
OUT HERE IS THE VALLEY OF THE UPPER SABATO, ON THE BANKS OF WHICH ATRIPALDA
IS SITUATED. THIS WAS THE CITY WHICH ANTIQUITY KNEW BY THE NAME OF ABELLINUM.
IT IS EASIER TO FORM A CLEAR IDEA OF ITS HISTORY FROM ABOVE THAN IT IS ON
THE GROUND.
THE RUINS OF AN AMPHITHEATRE, AN AQUEDUCT, BATHS AND A FORTRESS ONCE BELONGIING
TO ANCIENT ABELLINUM NOW FORM PART OF PRESENT DAY AVELLINO.IN ANCIENT
TIMES, AVELLINO WAS IN THE POSSESSION OF SANNIO IRPINO AND LAY ABOUT 4 KILOMETRES
FROM THE MODERN CITY, WHERE ATRIPALDA IS LOCATED NOW IN OTHER WORDS, WHERE
THE NOCERA, MIRABELLA ECLANO, BENEVENTO AND CONZA ROADSMEET. THE REMAINS WE
CAN SEE DATE BACK TO THE PERIOD OF ROMAN COLONIZATION, WHEN ABELLINUM WAS
A FLOURISHING TRADING CENTRE FOR AGRICULTURE AND MANUFACTURE. RECORDED
HISTORY OF AVELLINO BREAKS OFF FOR TWO HUNDRED YEARS DURING THE PERIOD OF
THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS; THE DATES AND NAMES OF ITS CHRISTIAN MARTYRS AND
BISHOPS ARE VERY UNCERTAIN. THE LOMBARDS FROM THE DUCHY OF BENEVENTO CONQUERED
IT, AND ITS HISTORY STARTS TO BECOME CLEARER. THE FEW SUPERFICIAL FACTS IN
OUR POSSESSION ENABLE US TO STATE WITH CERTAINTY THAT AVELLINO WAS ALREADY
AN ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE BY 5TH CENTURY. SUBSEQUENTLY, ITS HISTORY IS LINKED
TO THAT OF BENEVENTO. TAKEN BY THE BYZANTINES AND THEN RESTORED TO THE LOMBARDS
OF BENEVENTO, AND AFTERWARDS PROMOTED TO EARLDOM, ITS HISTORY EXEMPLIFIES
THAT PROCESS WHEREBY CENTRAL POWER DISINTEGRATED INTO SO MANY SMALL FEUDAL
LORDSHIPS. IT WAS DESTROYED BY OTTO I AND REBUILT ON ITS PRESENT SITE, 4 KILOMETRES
FROM THE OLD CITY ON THE BANKS OF THE SABATO. IT PLAYED AN ACTIVE ROLE IN
THE EVENTS INVOLVING THE PRINCIPALITIES OF BENEVENTO AND SALERNO, WHICH IT
SUPPORTED AGAINST THE SARACENS. ALSO
IN THIS PERIOD (THAT IS, ROUND ABOUT 1000), WITH LOMBARD RULE NOW ESTABLISHED,
THE FORMER ANCIENT CITY WHICH HAD BEEN DESTROYED GREW UP AGAIN UNDER THE NAME
OF ATRIPALDA. AVELLINO
PASSED INTO THE HANDS OF THE NORMANS UNDER ROGER. LATER IT WAS RULED BY VARIOUS
FAMILIES ALTERNATELY HOSTILE OR FAVOURABLE TO THE SWABIANS. THE DEL BALZO
AND THE FILANGIERI FAMILIES FOLLOWED, UNTIL THE CARACCIOLO WERE ELECTED PRINCES
OF AVELLINO AND RULED THERE UNTIL 1844. IN THE RISORGIMENTO STIRRINGS OF 1821,
AVELLINO WAS A STARTING POINT FOR THE INSURRECTIONS WHICH SPREAD THROUGHOUT
THE WHOLE OF SOUTHERN ITALY. FROM
ABOVE WE CAN MAKE OUT THE LATIN CROSS OF THE CATHEDRAL, SURROUNDED BY STEEP
NARROW MEDIEVAL STREETS. IT DATES BACK TO THE TWELFTH CENTURY, BUT THE FACADE
WAS RECONSTRUCTED IN THE NEOCLASSICAL STYLE. THIS IS THE OLD CENTRE OF THE
TOWN, WHICH HAS SHIFTED POSITION YET AGAIN AND TODAY HAS AS ITS MODERN CENTRE
THE ATTRACTIVE PIAZZA DELLA LIBERTA'. THE MEDIEVAL RUINS WE CAN SEE SET SLIGHTLY
APART BELONG TO THE CASTLE WHOSE VISITORS INCLUDED INNOCENT II, THE LOTHARIAN
EMPERORS AND HENRY IV, THE ANGEVIN AND ARAGONESE KINGS OF NAPLES, AND CHARLES
VIII OF FRANCE. AVELLINO'S
GREATEST ATTRACTION, HOWEVER, IS ITS COUNTRYSIDE, FULL OF GARDENS AND VINEYARDS,
AND THE SURROUNDING HILLS WHICH PROVIDE WALNUTS AND CHESTNUTS IN ABUNDANCE.
PLACED 1270 METRES UP ON THE
SOUTHWEST FLANK OF THE PARTENIO, THERE IS THE ABBEY OF MONTEVERGINE, REMARKABLE
FOR ITS FUSION OF NATURAL BEAUTY, RELEGIOUS FAITH AND ARTISTIC AND HISTORICAL
INTEREST. IN ANTIQUITY, THERE WAS A TEMPLE TO CYBELE ON THIS SITE, AND IT
WAS HERE THAT THE CHRISTIAN MARTYRS TOOK REFUGE DURING THE PERSECUTIONS. ROUND
ABOUT 1000, ST. WILLIAM OF VERCELLI, ATTRACTED BY THE SOLEMN PEACEFULNESS
OF THE SPOT, MOVED HERE AND FOUNDED A CHAPEL WHICH WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ENLARGED
AND DEDICATED TO THE VIRGIN MARY. THE SANCTUARY OF MONTEVERGINE IS EXTREMELY
RICH IN WORKS OF ART WHICH OVER THE CENTURIES HAVE SERVED TO BEAUTIFY IT.
THERE IS THE HAUNTING PAINTING IN THE BYZANTINE STYLE OF THE MADONNA DI MONTEVERGINE,
VENERATED AS THE "MAMMA SCHIAVONA", DATING FROM THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY;
THE RESPLENDENT THRONE OF THE MADONNA; STAINED GLASS WINDOWS AND FRESCOES;
THE STUPENDOUS SEVENTEENTH CENTURY HIGH ALTAR IN THE PRESBYTERY; MOSAICS WITH
RICHLY PATTERNED ARABESQUES AND CARVED WOODEN CHOIRSTALLS FROM THE SIXTEENTH
CENTURY. THE GOTHIC CHAPEL OF THE HOLY SACRAMENT, ON THE OTHER HAND, DATES
BACK TO THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY. THERE IS AN INTERESTING MUSEUM NEXT TO THE
SANCTUARY. WE SHOULD
LIKE TO BE ABLE TO WALK DOWN THE MOUNTAINSIDE BREATHING IN THE BALMY FRAGANCE
OF THE HAZEL-TREES WHICH GROW PROFUSELY IN THESE WOODS, BUT WE MUST CONTINUE
OUR JOURNEY...
