Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi, Province of Avellino, Campania
Sant'Angelo rises on top of a hill in Upper Irpinia near the Apennine watershed line, which divides the Ansanto valley crossed by the river Fredane, a tributary of the Calore, and the valley of the Ofanto.
As regards the origin of the toponym, it reflects the cult of San Michele Arcangelo, to whom the Longobards were particularly devoted after their conversion to Christianity and who settled on the site during the Early Middle Ages.
Info
- Altitude: 870 m a.s.l
- Population: about 4100 inhabitants in 2017
- Zip/postal code: 83054
- Dialing Area Code: +39 0827
- How to reach it: Autostrada Napoli - Bari, exit Grottaminarda; proceed along the S.S. 425
- Demonym: santangiolesi
- Patron Saint: St. Michele Arcangelo celebrated on 29 September.
Administrative Division
Frazioni & Localities: Acquara, Barricella, Casaglia, Castellani, Cupa dell'Olmo, Erbaia, Fredane, Genualdo, Luonghi, Marcolaponi, Martinelli, Montanaldo, Montevergine, Monticchio, Monticchio Apicella, Montocchia, Patetto, Piani San Nicola, Piano Mattino, Piano Messano, Porrara, Puoio, Ruocchio del Conte, Ruggiano, San Gennaro, San Guglielmo, San Marco, San Pietro, San Pietro Pozzi, Sant'Antuono, Santo Janni, San Vito, Scannacapre, Schinicosa, Secatizzo, Selvatico, Serra di Nardo, Siepi, Vallegrande.
History
Its origins date back to the 10th century, when Lombards settled here and gave the name to the medieval center. In was later invaded by the Saracens, then under the Normans the fiefdom passed to the Balvano family, to the Ianvilla, the Di Sangro, the Carafa and the Caracciolo.
Sant'Angelo was one of the places most affected by the 1980 earthquake, with the highest number of victims, 482. The four "symbol" places were the hospital with the collapse of an entire wing, the Japicca palace which housed 25 families and in its ground floor a local (Bar Corrado), with dozens of people watching a football on TV, the recreational club, and the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie that housed about thirty little orphans.
What to see
- The Benedictine Abbey of San Guglielmo al Goleto: the most interesting medieval monument in Irpinia, whose construction began in the 12th century, and one of the most powerful monasteries in Southern Italy, second in the area only to Montevergine.
- The Lombard Castle, built in the early 12th century.
- The Cathedral, originally 11th century, rebuilt in the 16th century in the Renaissance style.
Where to stay
Sant'Angelo was one of the places most affected by the 1980 earthquake, with the highest number of victims, 482. The four "symbol" places were the hospital with the collapse of an entire wing, the Japicca palace which housed 25 families and in its ground floor a local (Bar Corrado), with dozens of people watching a football on TV, the recreational club, and the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie that housed about thirty little orphans.
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