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Home > Travel Italy > Italy Destinations > Avellino
Avellino
Italy, officially the Italian Republic or Repubblica Italiana, is a Southern European country comprising of the Po River valley, the Italian Peninsula and the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. It is shaped like a boot and for this reason Italians commonly call it lo Stivale, the boot or, due to its prevalent peninsular geographical nature, la Penisola, the Peninsula.
The town was Christianized around AD 500, becoming an episcopal see. There followed the invasions of the Goths and Vandals. Subsequently Avellino became a Lombard centre, with a castle on the Terra hill. In the early middle Ages it was part of the Duchy (later Principate) of Benevento and, after the latter’s fall, of the Principate of Salerno.
In 1100, during the Norman rule of southern Italy, it was acquired by Riccardo dell’Aquila. Later King Charles I of Anjou assigned it to the Montfort family, who were succedeed by the Del Balzo and the Filangieri.
In 1820 Avellino was seat of revolutionary riots. However, the Unification of Italy some fifty years later did not bring any benefit to the city, being cut off from the main railway line Naples-Benevento-Foggia, 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 is a town and comune, capital of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is situated in a plain surrounded by mountans 19 miles north-east of Naples and is an important hub on the road from Salerno to Benevento. Avellino is the seat of a diocese. Avellino has sufferred from seismic activity throughout its history and was struck hard by the earthquakes of 23 November 1980 and 14 February 1981.
Some ruins of the ancient Abellinum can be seen near the modern village of Atripalda, 2.5 miles east of modern Avellino. The Cathedral, with its Romanesque crypt, stands on the site of a rich and famous Roman villa which was built around 129 BC and abandoned after the eruption of Vesuvius and associated earthquake in 346.
A city known for its historic myths and traditions, scenic beauty, cooperative people and luxurious hotels and cottages, Avellino is one of the favorite holiday destinations for most of the vacation lovers.
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