Bisaccia, Province of Avellino, Campania
It rises on a spur of the Calvario Mountain and has a very ancient origin. Today the territory, which was a royal hunting reserve, is still rich in game and the crafts, especially the making of wool, cotton and linen fabrics, are still common.
Info
- Altitude: 860 m a.s.l
- Territory: mountainous
- Population: about 3800 inhabitants in 2017
- Zip/postal code: 83044
- Dialing Area Code: +39 0827
- Patron Saint: St. Antonio di Padova celebrated on 13 June
- How to reach it: about 12 km from Autostrada Napoli - Bari, exit at Lacedonia.
Administrative Division
Frazioni & Localities: Bisaccia Nuova, Calaggio, Calli, Macchitella, Masseria di Sabato, Oscata, Pastina, Pedurza, Piani San Pietro, Piano Regolatore.
History
According to some scholars, on the site there was the town of Romulea, a settlement founded by the Samnites, an Italic, pre-Roman population. In 296 BC Romulea was destroyed by the Romans. Under the Lombards Bisaccia belonged to the territory of Conza and during the 11th century its lord was Norman adventurer Robert Guiscard (?1015 - 17 July 1085). During the Empire of Frederick II, the castle of Bisaccia, then belonging to Riccardo I of Cotignì, was used as a hunting residence. Later Bisaccia become property of the Pignatelli family, whose coat of arms is still visible on the Portal of the Castle.
What to see
- Castello Ducale, rising on the highest part of the ancient Bisaccia, with a 12 meter-high Tower, the symbol of the town, and a Renaissance loggia.
- The Cathedral, completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1456 and then in 1694, then rebuilt in another place, closer to the castle, by Petrus de Pagano in 1747.
- The palaces: Palazzo Capaldo, Palazzo Orlando, Palazzo Cafazzo and Palazzo Patrisso.
Where to stay
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