Avellino () is a town and ''
comune
The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces ('' province''). The can ...
'', capital of the
province of Avellino
The Province of Avellino ( it, Provincia di Avellino) is a province in the Campania region of Southern Italy. The area is characterized by numerous small towns and villages scattered across the province; only two towns have a population over 20,0 ...
in the
Campania
(man), it, Campana (woman)
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region of southern Italy. It is situated in a plain surrounded by mountains east of
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
and is an important hub on the road from
Salerno
Salerno (, , ; nap, label= Salernitano, Saliernë, ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' in Campania (southwestern Italy) and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after ...
to
Benevento
Benevento (, , ; la, Beneventum) is a city and '' comune'' of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and t ...
.
History
Before the Roman conquest, the ancient ''Abellinum'' was a centre of the Samnite
Hirpini, located on the Civita hill some outside the current town, in what is now
Atripalda. The city could correspond to the ancient ''Velecha'', documented by coins found in the area. ''Abellinum'' was conquered by the
Romans in 293 BC, changing name several times in the following centuries (''Veneria'', ''Livia'', ''Augusta'', ''Alexandriana'', and ''Abellinatium''). However, the construction of a true Roman town occurred only after the conquest by
Lucius Cornelius Sulla
Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He won the first large-scale civil war in Roman history and became the first man of the Republic to seize power through force.
Sulla ha ...
in the
civil wars in 89 BC. He razed the old site and in 82 BC founded the colony Veneria Abellinatium on the left bank of the river Sabato.
The new city was surrounded by massive walls and had an orthogonal ''
hippodamian'' urban layout. In 7 AD
Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
changed its name to Livia Augusta in honour of his wife, Livia Drusilla who owned the territories between Abellinum and
Aeclanum. In the 3rd century
Alexander Severus
Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (1 October 208 – 21/22 March 235) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty. He succeeded his slain cousin Elagabalus in 222. Alexander himself was ...
expanded the colony under the title of Livia Augusta Alexandrina with a massive immigration of oriental settlers. This helped to spread ancient Levantine cults such as
Sol Invictus
Sol Invictus (, "Unconquered Sun"), sometimes simply known as Helios, was long considered to be the official Solar deity, sun god of the later Roman Empire. In recent years, however, the scholarly community has become divided on Sol between tradi ...
in the territory.
There followed economic crises (III and IV centuries), violent earthquakes (346) and disastrous volcanic eruptions (472). The town was Christianised around 500, becoming an episcopal seat.
There were invasions of the
Goths
The Goths ( got, 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰, translit=''Gutþiuda''; la, Gothi, grc-gre, Γότθοι, Gótthoi) were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Euro ...
(535 - 555) and the
Vandal
The Vandals were a Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century.
The Vandals migrated to the area bet ...
s. After the
Lombard conquest of southern Italy, the ancient city was abandoned in 568 (it is disputed if completely or partly) and a new settlement grew on the Terra hill, corresponding to the modern Avellino.
Defended by a castle, it became part of the
Duchy (later Principality) of Benevento and, after the latter's fall, of the
Principality of Salerno
The Principality of Salerno ( la, Principatus Salerni) was a medieval Southern Italian state, formed in 851 out of the Principality of Benevento after a decade-long civil war. It was centred on the port city of Salerno. Although it owed all ...
. In 1100, during the
Norman rule of southern Italy, it was acquired by
Riccardo dell'Aquila. Later, King
Charles I of Anjou
Charles I (early 1226/12277 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou, was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the second House of Anjou. He was Count of Provence (1246–85) and Forcalquier (1246–48, 1256–85) i ...
assigned it to the
Montfort family, who were succeeded by the
Del Balzo and the
Filangieri
The Filangieri (Old Norman ''Fitz Anger'', Latin ''Filii Angerii'' meaning "sons of Angerio") were an Italo-Norman noble family with origins (c.1100) near Nocera in the Kingdom of Sicily, but they rose to prominence at Naples. Famous members incl ...
.
The feudal rights to Avellino were purchased in 1581 by Don
Marino I Caracciolo Marino, Mariño or Maryino may refer to:
Places
* Marino, Lazio, a town in the province of Rome, Italy
* Marino, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide
** Marino Conservation Park
** Marino Rocks Greenway, a cycling route
** Marino Rocks railway st ...
, duke of
Atripalda, of a patrician family of Naples, who was made Prince of Avellino in 1589. Avellino became the main seat of the Caracciolo. Don Marino's son and grandson were consecutively Grand Chancellor of the Kingdom of Naples and chevaliers of the
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece ( es, Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, german: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, to celebrate his marriag ...
. The grandson, Don Marino II (1587–1630), was the patron of
Giambattista Basile, author of the ''
Pentamerone''.
In 1820 Avellino was seat of revolutionary riots. However, the
Unification of Italy
The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of different states of the Italian Peninsula into a single s ...
some fifty years later did not bring any benefit to the city, being cut off from the main railway line Naples-Benevento-
Foggia
Foggia (, , ; nap, label= Foggiano, Fògge ) is a city and former ''comune'' of Apulia, in Southern Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. In 2013, its population was 153,143. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also know ...
, and far from the sea as well.
In 1943 the city was bombed by Allied planes in an attempt to cut off the retreat of German panzer units over the important Bridge of Ferriera.
Avellino has suffered from seismic activity throughout its history and was struck hard by the
earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
s of 23 November 1980 and 14 February 1981. Avellino has also received ashfall from numerous eruptions of
Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius ( ; it, Vesuvio ; nap, 'O Vesuvio , also or ; la, Vesuvius , also , or ) is a somma- stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of ...
which lies almost due west; the city sits on
type locality
Type locality may refer to:
* Type locality (biology)
* Type locality (geology)
See also
* Local (disambiguation)
* Locality (disambiguation)
{{disambiguation ...
of
pumice
Pumice (), called pumicite in its powdered or dust form, is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough-textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals. It is typically light-colored. Scoria is another vesicular v ...
deposited from a
Plinian eruption of Vesuvius
about 3800 years ago.
Government
Economy
The
1980 Irpinia earthquake
The 1980 Irpinia earthquake ( it, Terremoto dell'Irpinia) took place in Italy on 23 November 1980, with a moment magnitude of 6.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme''). It left at least 2,483 people dead, at least 7,700 injured, ...
represented a turning point for the town and for the entire
province of Avellino
The Province of Avellino ( it, Provincia di Avellino) is a province in the Campania region of Southern Italy. The area is characterized by numerous small towns and villages scattered across the province; only two towns have a population over 20,0 ...
. Large amounts of money flowed in for infrastructure investment, and the extra money generated innovation and economic expansion more generally. By 2008 a per capita annual income level of €20,180 placed Avellino well above the regional average in terms of individual prosperity.
Agriculture
Agriculture was at the heart of Avellino's economy until the mid-1970s, since then many younger people have moved away from family farms, and sometimes also migrated away from the area, in pursuit of higher wages. Nevertheless,
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ch ...
,
viticulture
Viticulture (from the Latin word for ''vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ran ...
and especially the production of
hazelnuts
The hazelnut is the fruit of the hazel tree and therefore includes any of the nuts deriving from species of the genus ''Corylus'', especially the nuts of the species ''Corylus avellana''. They are also known as cobnuts or filberts according ...
remain important to the local economy and, with increased investment in recent years, employ a number of people.
Industry
The manufacturing sector plays an important role in Avellino, with two industrial zones on the eastern and western peripheries of the main urban area, at ''Pianodardine'' suburb,
Montefredane
Montefredane is a ''comune'' in the province of Avellino, Campania, southern Italy.
History
The area where Montefredane stands today was inhabited in ancient times by the Samnites. Later, Roman populations settled near the present days village ...
,
Prata di Principato Ultra
Prata di Principato Ultra is a town and '' comune'' of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. The town spread along a hill on the left shore of the Sabato river
Sabato may refer to:
* Sabato (surname)
*Sabato (river) ...
and
Pratola Serra. Many small and medium-sized businesses are located in the industrial zones, including notably FMA (''Fabbrica Motori Automobilistici'', Automobile Engine Factory) who produces
Fiat Pratola Serra modular engines for
Fiat
Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...
,
Opel
Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA ...
,
Jeep
Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Motors ...
,
Lancia and
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis. The company was founded on 24 June 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." ...
, and creator of the "multi-jet" (fuel injected) car engine.
Transportation
Air
The nearest airports are those of
Salerno-Pontecagnano, to the southwest and
Napoli-Capodichino
Naples International Airport ( it, Aeroporto Internazionale di Napoli) is the intercontinental airport serving Naples and the Southern Italian region of Campania. According to 2019 data, the airport is the fifth-busiest airport in Italy and ...
, to the west.
Rail
The station, located where the city limits of Avellino meet
Atripalda, was once the terminus for passenger rail services to
Benevento
Benevento (, , ; la, Beneventum) is a city and '' comune'' of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and t ...
,
Cancello, and
Rocchetta Sant'Antonio
Rocchetta Sant'Antonio ( Foggiano: or ) is a town and '' comune'' in the province of Foggia in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. It was part of the province of Avellino
The Province of Avellino ( it, Provincia di Avellino) is a province in ...
. The station provided a reliable link with
Benevento
Benevento (, , ; la, Beneventum) is a city and '' comune'' of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and t ...
and
Salerno
Salerno (, , ; nap, label= Salernitano, Saliernë, ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' in Campania (southwestern Italy) and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after ...
. A few long-distance trains to
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
and
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
were also added to try and reinvigorate the local economy, but these services came to an end in 2010, following cuts that saw the closure of the railway between Avellino and Rocchetta Sant'Antonio. A regional decree dated 9 August 2012 forced the closure of the remaining 19 local rail services. However, in response to protests from rail users a small number of services were reinstated on 28 October 2012.
[''Ferrovie riaperte in Campania'', in "I Treni" n. 354 (dicembre 2012), p. 4]
Road
Avellino is served by two access points (''Avellino Est/East'' and ''Avellino Ovest/West'') on the
A16 Autostrada (originally numbered A17, and known also as "Autostrada of the two seas") which runs approximately west–east and links
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
to the west with
Canosa di Puglia and
Bari on the farther side of
the country
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
. Near Naples the A16 connects with the
A3 Autostrada, ensuring good road access with the principal population centres across Italy. Also important is the so-called "Ofantina" superstrada (dual carriageway) linking with several locally important towns to the east and south, en route to
Salerno
Salerno (, , ; nap, label= Salernitano, Saliernë, ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' in Campania (southwestern Italy) and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after ...
.
Sport
*
U.S. Avellino 1912
Unione Sportiva Avellino 1912, commonly known as US Avellino, is an Italian professional football club based in Avellino, Campania. It competes in Serie C, the third tier of Italian football.
It is the official continuity club of US Avellino ...
, a football club based in the town
*
S.S. Felice Scandone, a basketball club based in the town
Main sights
Ruins of the ancient Roman Abellinum can be seen near the modern village of Atripalda, east of modern Avellino. They include the ''
forum
Forum or The Forum (plural forums or fora) may refer to:
Common uses
*Forum (legal), designated space for public expression in the United States
*Forum (Roman), open public space within a Roman city
**Roman Forum, most famous example
*Internet ...
'', faced by temples, baths, parts of the
Serino aqueduct and a patrician ''
domus
In Ancient Rome, the ''domus'' (plural ''domūs'', genitive ''domūs'' or ''domī'') was the type of town house occupied by the upper classes and some wealthy freedmen during the Republican and Imperial eras. It was found in almost all the m ...
''. There was also an
amphitheatre
An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
and a brothel.
Avellino Cathedral
Avellino Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta e di San Modestino, ''Cattedrale di Avellino'') is a Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Saint Modestinus in Avellino, Campania, Italy. It is the seat of ...
, with its
Romanesque crypt
A crypt (from Latin '' crypta'' " vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics.
Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a ...
, stands on the site of a rich
Roman villa which was built around 129 BC and abandoned after the eruption of
Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius ( ; it, Vesuvio ; nap, 'O Vesuvio , also or ; la, Vesuvius , also , or ) is a somma- stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of ...
, and an earthquake in 346 AD. The church and convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie were built in 1580.
There are some remains of the Lombard castle in Piazza Castello (Castle Square). Because the castle was built at the base of a small valley, its tactical purpose continues to puzzle modern-day historians throughout Europe.
The Fountain of Bellerophon was executed in the 17th century by
Cosimo Fanzago.
Museums
* National Gallery of Selachoidei, housing one of the largest collections of
cartilaginous fishes
Chondrichthyes (; ) is a class that contains the cartilaginous fishes that have skeletons primarily composed of cartilage. They can be contrasted with the Osteichthyes or ''bony fishes'', which have skeletons primarily composed of bone tissue ...
in Italy.
*
Museum of Art
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
(MdAO – Museo d'Arte)
* Museum of the Cathedral and the Diocese of Avellino
* Provincial Archaeological Museum
* Provincial Art Gallery, in the “Carcere Borbonico”
* Zoological Museum of invertebrates "L. Carbone”
People
*
Sonia Aquino
Sonia Aquino (born 10 July 1977 in Avellino) is an Italian actress.
Biography
A theatre, cinema and television actress, Aquino graduated from the ''National School of the Cinema'' (Scuola Nazionale di Cinema) in Rome and attended Francesca D ...
(1977 – ), actress
*
Milly D'Abbraccio (1964 – ), pornographic film actress
*
Luigi Di Maio (1986 – ), politician
*
Carmine Biagio Gatti
Carmine Biagio Gatti (born February 10, 1988 in Avellino) is an Italian professional football player currently playing for Lega Pro Seconda Divisione team V.F. Colligiana on loan from S.S.C. Napoli.
See also
*Football in Italy
*List of footbal ...
(1988 – ), footballer
*
Carmen Giannattasio (1975 – ), operatic soprano
*
Joe Grim (1881–1939), Italian American boxer
*
Maurizio Lanzaro
Maurizio Lanzaro (born 14 March 1982) is an Italian football coach and former player. He is currently in charge as the caretaker of Serie C club Seregno.
Playing career
A central defender, he made his professional debut with AS Roma on a Serie ...
(1982 – ), footballer
*
Antonio Maccanico (1924–2013), politician
*
Gianfranco Rotondi
Gianfranco Rotondi (born 25 July 1960) is an Italian politician and a member of the Chamber of Deputies.
Biography
Rotondi was born in Avellino, Campania.
Political career
Graduated in law, he was first elected in the Chamber of Deputies in 20 ...
(1960 – ), politician
*
Ralph Sazio (1922–2008), Italian Canadian football player and coach
In fiction
In the HBO television series ''
The Sopranos
''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based American Mafia, Italian-American mobster, portraying h ...
'', mob boss
Tony Soprano
Anthony John Soprano is a fictional character and the antihero protagonist in the HBO television drama series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), portrayed by James Gandolfini. Soprano is a member of the Italian-American Mafia and, especially later ...
has his family roots in Avellino. Tony's grandfather, Corrado Soprano Sr, a stonemason, emigrated from Avellino to the United States in the early 20th century. In the episode "
In Camelot", Corrado's son Junior Soprano claims "The whole village of Avellino settled in this area" in which the main characters live, in
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is located in the northeastern part of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 863,728, making it the state's second-most populous county, behind Bergen and Middlesex Counties. .
See also
*
Avellino railway station
*
Irpinia
*
S.S. Felice Scandone, the town's
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
club, currently in
Lega Basket Serie A
The Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) is a professional men's club basketball league that has been organised in Italy since 1920. Serie A is organised by Lega Basket, which is regulated by the Italian Basketball Federation (FIP). It is the highest-tie ...
*
Stadio Partenio-Adriano Lombardi
The Stadio Partenio-Lombardi is a multi-purpose stadium in Avellino, Italy. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home of U.S. Avellino 1912. The stadium was built in 1973 and holds 26,308.
On 9 June 2011 the stadium was ...
*
U.S. Avellino 1912
Unione Sportiva Avellino 1912, commonly known as US Avellino, is an Italian professional football club based in Avellino, Campania. It competes in Serie C, the third tier of Italian football.
It is the official continuity club of US Avellino ...
, the town's
football club, currently in
Serie C
The Serie C () is the third-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie B and Serie A. The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico (Lega Pro) is the governing body that runs the Serie C.
The unification of the Lega ...
Notes
Sources
*
External links
*
Official websiteIl Magazine della città di Avellino
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Campania