Montecalvo Irpino, overlooking the green hills of the province of Avellino, is a village that tells centuries of history through its fascinating historic center, the ruins of the ancient Norman castle and the evocative churches rich in art and culture.

• 16 Jul 2024
• REPERTUR
• Borghi Antichi

A city of ancient bread and ancestral traditions, Montecalvo is a jewel of flavors and folklore in the heart of the Miscano valley.

Inhabited since the dawn of time, Montecalvo developed in the Neolithic on a rocky hill dotted with broom. Of the ancient settlement, which arose in the Trappeto area, several cave-houses remain, carved into the tuff banks of the hill. Abandoned after the Neolithic, they were once again occupied with the spread of Christianity, which led to the construction, next to them, of the first rock churches in the valley. The town remained organized on several levels until the post-war period, when, due to poor hygienic conditions, they were definitively abandoned in favor of more modern and healthy homes in the heart of the village.

THE MALVIZZA BUBBLES

Another characteristic element of the rural territory of Montecalvo Irpino are the Malvizza Bubbles, the largest system of mud volcanoes in the entire southern Apennines. The mephitic phenomenon, also known as the blackbird bubbles, according to legend, is attributed to the wrath of the gods who wanted to punish an innkeeper for having robbed travelers on the Via Traiana, confining him in the bowels of the earth. The bubbles would thus be generated by the fumes and screams of the man imprisoned under the valley.

PIGNATELLI CASTLE

Moving from legends to history, the most representative building of Montecalvo is the Pignatelli Castle, built in ancient times, takes its name from the last feudal lords, the Pignatelli family, who transformed the fortress into a noble residence also inhabited by the Carafa family. Today, the manor is admired for its eighteenth-century bastions designed to defend against the assault of enemy troops and for the arch that leads to the internal courtyard of the castle dating back to 1505. A cylindrical tower and the perimeter walls are still visible.

THE FAIR OF SANTA CATERINA D’ALESSANDRIA

Around the Castle, the Millenary Fair of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria is held in November, an event that has its roots in the Early Middle Ages, that is, since the Knights of Malta introduced the cult of the saint to Montecalvo and built a hospital on site, dedicated to her, which served as a shelter for pilgrims and travellers passing through on the Via Appia Traiana.

THE BREAD OF MONTECALVO

A land of trade, cultural exchanges and ancient relationships, Montecalvo is one of the great Cities of Bread. Here they bake the very famous Pane di Montecalvo, a traditional agri-food product (PAT) characterized by a thick crust that encloses a high and compact crumb full of alveoli that make it soft and light.

LA SARAGOLLA AND LA SPEUTA

Being an important crossroads on the Via Traina, the village in the Miscano valley is also renowned for the cultivation and enhancement of ancient cereals such as Saragolla, a variety of durum wheat grown in Irpinia, excellent for quality bread-making and Speuta, also called "speutona", a nutritious grass similar to spelt used not only for the production of bread but also to be soaked in soups.

LA PACCIANA

In addition to bread, another symbol of the Montecalvo civilization is that of the Pacchiana, a very flashy woman, dressed in a dress full of colors that is still used today by elderly women or in traditional rites such as Carnival. The term pacchiano, which today indicates a showy, noisy, poorly dressed person, in reality has a very different etymological origin and refers to the desire for fun, happiness, revelry, songs and tarantellas typical of the period preceding Lent.