Sant'Angelo all'Esca, Province of Avellino, Campania
Located on a hill in the hinterland of Irpinia, above the verdant Calore Valley, in a landscape rich in olive groves and vineyards, Sant'Angelo all'Esca enjoys a healthy climate and uncontaminated air.
The town was founded by the Lombards, who had a deep worship for San Michele Arcangelo; the second part of the toponym is uncertain, a theory is that it may derive from the Latin "ad escas" (=near altars), a reference to the sepulchre on the site of a priestess to Ceres.
Info
- Altitude: 460 m a.s.l
- Population: about 780 inhabitants in 2018
- Zip/postal code: 83050
- Dialing Area Code: +39 081
- Patron Saint: St. Michele Arcangelo celebrated on 29 September
- Frazioni & Localities: Vado le Nocelle, Sorgente.
History
It was a fiefdom of many noble families like the Gesualdo and the Spinelli. Later it belonged to Michele Brumio who received the title of Marquis of Sant'Angelo by Ferdinand IV of Spain in 1778.
Events
- December 29, popular festival Lo pastiero, when the a "timballo" is prepared in Piazza Dante Alighieri with 40 kg pasta, 70 kg cheese and 2,200 eggs, then cooked on the fire, to the accompaniment of folk ballads.
- 8th and 9th August, music festival EscaJazz, held since 2014.
What to see
- The church of San Michele Arcangelo, though restored many times during the centuries, still has a beautiful 13th façade with a magnificent portal. The bell tower has an octagonal cell and a dome, and inside a fine altar, some baroque decorations as well as many sacred images.
Genealogy & Links
Where to stay
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Italian Genealogy
Family History
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