Montefusco is the ancient capital of the Principality Ultra, a lookout over the valleys of Calore and del Sabato, a crossroads for merchants, pilgrims and brigands
Montefusco is one of the sites of greatest historical and architectural interest in the whole province of Avellino. Located over 700 meters above sea level and only 21 kilometers from the capital, the village owes its development and its presence in the pages of history thanks to the Lombard domination that around the IX transforme read more
Montefusco is the ancient capital of the Principality Ultra, a lookout over the valleys of Calore and del Sabato, a crossroads for merchants, pilgrims and brigands
Montefusco is one of the sites of greatest historical and architectural interest in the whole province of Avellino. Located over 700 meters above sea level and only 21 kilometers from the capital, the village owes its development and its presence in the pages of history thanks to the Lombard domination that around the IX transformed the old Roman castrum into a real castle, which later became “royal” with the arrival of Roger II in 1130, a definition reserved for residences of primary strategic-military but also temporal and religious importance. Popes and kings most likely resided here and with the arrival of the Angevins Montefusco rose to the role of capital of the Principality Ultra.
In the Aragonese period, then, the Castle was transformed into a prison where exponents of the Masaniello revolt were imprisoned. This downgrading led to the loss of the status of capital, moved to Avellino at the time of the Bourbon domination. Despite this, the old Castle, now a prison, was able to end up on the shields in the period of the Italian Risorgimento when, due to the harshness of the penalties inflicted on prisoners, it was renamed the Spielberg of Southern Italy. Today it is one of the most fascinating buildings in all of Irpinia, a civic museum and town hall, since 1928 it has been considered a national monument. read less
