Fontanarosa, a small jewel in the province of Avellino, is famous for its deep connection with craftsmanship and tradition.

• 02 Jul 2024
• REPERTUR
• Borghi Antichi

Known throughout Italy for the processing of Irpinia breccia, Fontanarosa is the village of granite religious and peasant traditions.

The history of the village is closely linked to that of Aeclanum, one of the most important economic and military centers of the Samnite. It was precisely the diaspora generated by the destruction of the settlement on the banks of the Calore by the Lombards that led to the birth of Fontanarosa between the 7th and 8th centuries AD.

A city of ancient crafts and centuries-old traditions, in Fontanarosa the sacred and the profane have been shaped ceaselessly for centuries. The tirata del Carro is a shining example that has its roots in ancient times when the farmers brought grain in homage to the pagan gods by pulling a cart with the strength of oxen coming from the countryside. The tradition is still renewed today on August 14 with a cart of straw to the Sanctuary of Maria Santissima della Misericordia.

THE 3 P MUSEUM

Fontanarosa is known and appreciated throughout Italy for the ancient art of working breccia irpina, the typical stone that is extracted from the quarries that dot the Fontanarosaro territory. An ancient art that finds a natural home in the Civic Museum, also known as the “Museum of the 3 Ps”, or Stone, Straw and Nativity Scene, which is spread over three levels and where a very precious 18th-century Nativity Scene made with elm and olive tree trunks, pieces of straw carts pulled over the centuries and, indeed, stone works exhibited in an open space overlooking the Fredane stream are kept. Among these, a very faithful reproduction of the Nike of Samothrace and the Gift from Heaven, a fountain made of Carrara marble by the Japanese master Yoshin Ogata

THE SANCTUARY OF MARIA SANTISSIMA DELLA MISERICORDIA

Where faith, legend and tradition find a perfect synthesis. Where the community of Fontanarosa has gathered over the centuries around a medieval statue that is the guardian of wonders and ancestral cults. Here stands the Sanctuary of Maria Santissima della Misericordia, also known as Santa Maria del pozzo because of a cavity from which water believed to be miraculous can be drawn.

Today, after many restoration works that have transformed its appearance, the building presents itself with its three naves and six altars placed in the side naves, dominated by the main altar, placed in the space of the apse choir. Inside, the Sanctuary houses artifacts and sumptuous decorations that reflect the many historical eras crossed by the Marian cult. It is no coincidence that everything in the sanctuary revolves around the late medieval statue depicting Santa Maria della Misericordia. Other elements of interest in the Sanctuary are the stone portal and a chapel from 1731, now a basilica, which houses a polychrome wooden triptych dating back to the 17th century, donated by Prince Carlo Gesualdo, and a painting of the Virgin with Child giving the lily to Saint Anthony, attributable to the Neapolitan school of Luca Giordano.

THE BELL TOWER OF FONTANAROSA

Connected to the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Misericordia stands the imposing 15th-century bell tower that is over 50 metres high and on which rests a 6-metre-high onion dome. Rebuilt to guard the Sanctuary and blessed on 16 April 1731, the date of consecration of the Church, today it presents itself with a composite style. Up to the level of the bells, the structure has a quadrangular plan, with more or less accentuated edges and arches in worked stone; the upper part, from the clock face to the dome, is slimmer, with rounded edges, almost taking on an octagonal shape.

A majestic architectural work from the Norman era, it is linked to the community's strong devotion to the Patron Saint and inside it is possible to admire several statues of saints and paintings of great artistic value

THE FONTANAROSA CAR

The Fontanarosa Car is a 28-meter-high obelisk made of straw that is transported by two pairs of oxen on August 14th of each year in honor of the Madonna della Misericordia. The structure is created through a painstaking work of weaving dampened straw, from which braids and sticks are obtained, which, sewn together and alternated, give life to columns, capitals, spires, leaves, mantles of every shape and proportion, according to a pre-established design, all well fixed on wooden frames to ensure stability during transport. The race takes place in the late afternoon, starting from Via Primo Maggio and ending, with more or less regular stops, at the Sanctuary of Maria Santissima della Misericordia.

THE CHURCH OF SAN NICOLA

A majestic building erected in the Norman era, the parish church of San Nicola Maggiore stands in the heart of the historic center of Fontanarosa, in the central Piazza Cristo Re, testifying to the community's strong bond with its patron saint.

Dedicated to the cult of San Nicola di Bari, the church was built in the 12th century by Norman governors and underwent several reconstructions over the years. Today it has a three-nave plan, each of which is introduced by a stone portal, and is surmounted by a dome. Inside there are works such as "The Last Supper" by Alonso Rodriguez and the "Madonna and Child" by Giuseppe Tomajoli.