Grottaminarda
Inhabited since the Neolithic (V-IV millennium BC), Grottaminarda is located in a strategic area and has been a land of passage on the Tyrrhenian-Adriatic route since ancient times, representing a fundamental commercial hub. The origins of the village of Grottaminarda date back to around the twelfth century, with the Norman Trogisio de Grutta, and it is known that in 1142 it became the property of the Aquino family. Precisely with the d'Aquino family, Grottaminarda was fortified with walls, the read more
Origin of name: The municipality of Grottaminarda falls within the Ufita Valley area. The etymology of the name is a compound of a cave and a medieval personal name, Maynardus, of Germanic origin.
Physical geography: Climate Being in the Campania hinterland, Grottaminarda is characterized by a temperate climate in which mild summers alternate with cold winters. Precipitation is not very abundant and is over 600 mm per year, while in the western part of the province it exceeds 1200 mm. Snowfalls are possible during the winter. Territory The municipal territory is included in the seismic district of Irpinia. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology has its own headquarters in Grottaminarda, with an adjoining center for Seismology and Seismic Engineering. The center, through a seismic monitoring room, collaborates in the development of a national seismic network that allows the immediate automatic localization of seismic events that occur within the national territory.
Language and dialects: Alongside the Italian language, a variety of the Irpinia dialect is spoken in Grottaminarda.
Symbols: << The municipality has the following coat of arms and banner: Lion passing on a thin bar arranged obliquely that rests on n. 4 bands, all inside a shield surmounted by a crown of five points and above this the inscription COMUNE DI GROTTAMINARDA; under the shield a garland of branches and berries of oaks and olive trees intertwined with a ribbon, all inserted on the gray and blue cloth richly decorated with rectangular friezes ending in three points. >>
Sport: The main sporting reality of the town is the Polisportiva Grotta 1984
Typical dishes
PAT donut
A Grottaminarda specialty with vegetables and a sauce made with hot pepper, tomatoes, green and red peppers, garlic and basil
The ciambottella di Grottaminarda is a tasty dish that is prepared with vegetables provided by the land of Avellino: tomatoes, green and red peppers, hot peppers, garlic and basil. According to an ancient custom, it is prepared by arranging all the ingredients, the tomato cut into "pacchetelle", ie along the four coasts, the peppers cut into pieces, the garlic and cloves and the basil. The donut can be used at the time of preparation or stored in glass jars boiled in water for at least an hour. In this way the ciambottella represents a supply that can be kept for a long time in the pantries and consumed if necessary, alone or as a condiment for bread and pasta.
Spantorrone of Grotta PAT
Traditional dessert whose recipe is handed down in the producing families of the municipality of Grottaminarda: it is a particular type of pantorrone, characterized by a particular friability.
Spantorrone is a dessert traditionally prepared in the province of Avellino, whose recipe is handed down in the producing families of the municipality of Grottaminarda, as its full name recalls, which is precisely: spantorrone di Grotta. it is a particular type of pantorrone, characterized by a particular friability, and by the fact that, when it breaks, rather than breaking into pieces it almost crumbles, breaking down into flakes. The original recipe tells us that the preparation must take place in the nougat maker, where, after heating the honey and egg white for many hours, the almonds and hazelnuts and vanilla are added. The product is spread in molds and covered with slices of sponge cake soaked in rum and witch liqueur.
History
Middle Ages During the Norman age, and throughout the course of the twelfth century, his name is linked to the figure of Trogisio de Cripta and to his family, who held him as a fief until the beginning of the thirteenth century. Around 1210 a certain Andrea of the noble Aquino family is attested as lord of Grotta. The Aquinas held the fief of Grottaminarda until 1528. Modern age The town was heavily damaged by the 1732 Irpinia earthquake, whose epicenter was very close to Grottaminarda. At read more
