Avellino and Irpinia 148 149 A mantle of woods covers the “green Irpinia”, from an environmental point of view, one of the most i beautiful and rich territories of Italy: it includes parks and naturalistic oases, mountains and high plains full of springs, grottoes, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, woods… The magic colours and scents invite walks in an unspoiled environment, long Ente Provinciale itineraries which at every step reveal spectacular per il Turismo di Avellino views of grandiose mountains, streams and wide via Due Principati 32/A valleys. Avellino Discovering Irpinia step by step, amidst the marvels tel. 0825 747321 www.eptavellino.it of the landscape, emerges its cultural and artistic heritage: Etruscans, Greeks, Romans, Goths, Provincia di Avellino Longobards…in three thousand years many peoples Assessorato al Turismo have passed by these lands and left their marks: in piazza Libertà 1 Avellino the Roman ruins, the severe catacombs, the tel. 0825 793058 Longobard ruins and Baroque monuments. There is no village in Irpinia without a story to tell. Irpinia is Ente Parco Regionale also world famous for its glorious wine growing del Partenio tradition: it is the land of the Docg wines: Taurasi, via Borgonuovo 1 Summonte (AV) Greco di Tufo and Fiano. These wines exalt the tel. 0825 691166 typical local cuisine: quality products and old recipes guarantee excellent dishes. Inns, trattorias Atripalda and famous restaurants unite passion, experience Palazzo dell’ex Dogana and innovation, and offer the possibility to savour dei Grani piazza Umberto I real culinary masterpieces. tel. 0825 626586 The choice of accomodations is wide and varied, for all tastes and budgets: guesthouses, hotels, Avellino agritourisms, bed & breakfast. Museo Irpino corso Europa tel. 0825 38582 Museo Zoologico via F. Petronelli 8 tel. 0825 781249 Mirabella Eclano Area Archeologica Antica via NazionaleAeclanum delle Puglie (località Passo di Mirabella) tel. 0825 449175 Montevergine Museo Abbaziale del Irpinian vineyards Santuario di Montevergine via Domenico Antonio king of the red wines; Greco its many ramifications. Amidst Vaccaro 1 di Tufo and Fiano, two white hills covered with vineyards, tel. 0825 787191 wines with an unmistakable olive groves and orchards, Mostra permanente dei the area provides a historical famous travellers bouquet. These three high presepi the Wine Trails and quality products are the only document of the civilizations tel. 0825 72924 Flavours of Irpinia Docg wines in Southern Italy. that succeeded each other The Greco wine was so precious, that The itinerary starts in over the centuries: Longobard Sant’Angelo dei Lombardi at banquets it was served only once. The province of Avellino, Avellino and winds its way fortresses, Norman castles, Museo dell’Abbazia del Goleto surrounded by vineyards, through the valleys of the Renaissance architecture. contrada S.Guglielmo (www.sito.regione.campania.it tel. 0827 24432 Pliny the Elder, I AD offers wines of international rivers Sabato and Calore, reputation such as Taurasi, and on to the Via Appia, with /agricoltura/home.htm). not to be missed irpinia in 1 day irpinia in 3 days shopping outings with children Irpino Museum, Avellino Avellino Avellino Lace Gesualdo Castle Sanctuary of Montevergine Sanctuary of Montevergine Sanctuary of Montevergine Marble objects Lancellotti Castle (Lauro) Collegiate Church of Solofra Sant’Angelo dei Lombardi Straw works Lake Laceno Basilica dell’Annunziata, Prata Mirabella Eclano Incised wood Oasis of Monte Polveracchio di Principato Ultra Conza Archaeological Park Wine and typical products and Valle della Caccia Excavations Lake Conza oasis Aeclanum San Guglielmo al Goleto Abbey 150 151 events february september _ _ SenerchiaPig and Sausage Feast MultimediaInterferenze Arts Festival San Martino Valle Caudina carnival _ _ MugnanoArt under del the Cardinale stars MontemaranoCarnival of Montemarano _ TufoGreco di Tufo Feast may _ _ BaianoHazelnut Feast BagnoliRicotta Irpinoand Cheese Feast october july _ _ FragnetoHot Air BalloonMonforte Meeting InternationalMusic in Irpinia orchestral music _ events BagnoliChestnut Irpino and Truffle Feast Loreto Abbey at Mercogliano _ december EthnicMediterranean music event Trails _ Summonte, Partenio Regional ForinoLiving cribs Park _ King boletus mushrooms SalzaFeast Irpina Montoro Superiore _ Fusilli pasta and Roast TorrioneWhole Pork Feast july-september _ (amphitheatres,Roaming concerts castles, in Irpinia piazzas and historic buildings) Ariano Irpino august _ ArianoAriano Irpino Folk Festival _ International Folklore Encounters View of Irpinia Taurano _ King boletus mushrooms MontoroFeast Inferiore _ MontoroWild Boar Superiore Feast art and archaeology nature and parks for young people specialities spas and fitness _ Historic centres of Avellino, Partenio Regional Park Lake Laceno Chestnuts, apples, hazelnuts Ancient thermal baths OspedalettoTorrone Feast d’Alpinolo Sant’Angelo dei Lombardi, Monti Picentini Regional Mount Terminio Mushrooms and truffles of San Teodoro, Villamaina Mirabella Eclano Nature Park Sheep cheese and caciocavallo Irpino Museum, Avellino Docg Wines Fiano di Avellino, Sanctuary of Montevergine Greco di Tufo, Taurasi Avellino, Mercogliano famous travellers and the Sanctuary …the Campania, exceptional for the cultivation of the vine. of Montevergine Pliny the Elder, I AD 152 153 The capital Avellino is located in a splendid natural historical documents, with a charming cloister Sanctuary setting, surrounded by the Picentini Mountains. In (concerts in summertime) and a library which holds of Montevergine the centre, with its modern feel, one finds interesting parchment documents, papal bulls and precious Avellino, historical buildings; the Cathedral, with the incunabula. Testa Palace beautiful neoclassical façade has paintings from the Near Mercogliano it is worth your while to make a Abbey 1500’s and a splendid Roman crypt. The bell tower detour in order to discover the Medieval village of Mercogliano is majestic. The symbol of the town is the Baroque of Capo Castello, with the remains of the Norman Torre dell’Orologio (Clock Tower) in the Piazza Castle. Amendola, which rises above the rooftops of the town. Other representative monuments are the From Mercogliano one can drive along the Fontana di Bellerofonte (XVII century), designed panoramic road or take the cableway which in 7 by Cosimo Fanzago, and the remains of the minutes takes you up a breathtaking slope to the Longobard Castle. famous Sanctuary of Montevergine, just below the top of Mount Partenio, in a marvellous wooded The Irpino Museum preserves archaeological material landscape. found in the province. In the various rooms (archaeology, renaissance and modern) we find authentic masterpieces: The Sanctuary was founded in 1124 on the remains of a relics from ancient , among which a magnificent temple dedicated to the goddess Cibele. Every year two Abellinum mosaic; the interesting reconstruction of the rich tomb of a million pilgrims walk up to render homage to the “Mamma chief from Mirabella Eclano, buried together with his dog; Schiavona”, the black Madonna depicted in a painting wooden statues from the Sanctuary of Mefite in the valley of the 13th century. The most important times for the of the Ansanto river; ceramics, porcelain, paintings of the pilgrimage are May, August and September, to celebrate Neapolitan school between the XVII and the XIX century, Pentecost, the Assumption and the Birth of Maria (the and a marvellous Neapolitan crib from the 1700’s. traditional “iuta a Montevergine”, which means “outing to Montevergine”). Also important is the feast of San From the mountain range of the Partenio (at 1270 Guglielmo da Vercelli, founder of this church (June 25). meters above sea level), the Sanctuary of The faithful walk up to the sanctuary or travel on wagons Montevergine dominates the city of Avellino. It is the decorated with flowers and garlands to the sound of most famous and visited Marian sanctuary of the traditional music. The architecture of the monastery and the guest quarters are sober, but the interior of the new Basilica South, destination of pilgrims from every part of (1952-1961) is luxuriously decorated. The throne with the Italy. On the road to the Sanctuary rises large panel depicting the black Madonna of Montevergine Mercogliano, in an evocative surrounding of (late 13th century) is located in the Presbytery. mountains and hills. Besides the architectural beauty From the back of the lateral naves one enters the “Chiesa one can admire the splendid view which extends to vecchia” (old church), Gothic but restructured in the 1600’s, the gulf of Naples. Here we find the Abbey which holds a precious collection of art works. In the Sanctuary Museum one finds noble sepulchral monuments of Loreto, masterpiece of Domenico Antonio and a permanent exhibit of cribs from the 1700’s to the Vaccaro (18th century), rich in art works and present. destruction was widespread. individuals, who can also monastery of Santa Lucia For centuries the people of the walnuts of Avella known the methods to obtain biological Its tenacious and hard take advantage of the cultural in Serino and the Abbey town dress up and dance world over, honey, products of the highest working people, however, programmes organized by of Goleto all offer hospitality. endlessly to the frenetic rhythm mushrooms, black truffles quality. Many of these farms have been able to make the monks and try the known as the “tarantella from Bagnoli Irpino, the also