Avellino

Lore & Background

Before Roman conquest, the ancient Abellinum was a Samnite Hirpini centre on the Civita hill, now Atripalda. Conquered by Rome in 293 BC, it was refounded by Sulla in 82 BC as Veneria Abellinatium. After Lombard conquest in 568, the old city was abandoned and a new settlement grew on the Terra hill, modern Avellino. It became part of the Duchy of Benevento, then the Principality of Salerno. In 1100 it was acquired by Riccardo dell'Aquila; later assigned to the Montfort family, then the Del Balzo and Filangieri. In 1581 Don Marino I Caracciolo purchased feudal rights and was made Prince of Avellino in 1589. Avellino suffered earthquakes in 346, 1980, and 1981, and ashfall from Vesuvius eruptions.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Stadio San Paolo was thick with humidity and anticipation. On one side, the sea of blue roared for their kings; on the other, a disciplined wall of white and green stood firm. The referee's whistle cut through the noise, signaling the start of another chapter in the Campania derby. A young Avellino striker dribbled past two defenders, his eyes fixed on the goal that represented more than just three points—it was validation for every town in Irpinia. As he struck the ball, the roar from the Curva Sud momentarily silenced the home crowd, a fleeting moment where the province dared to challenge the capital.

Reader's Guide

Key sights include the ruins of Roman Abellinum near Atripalda (forum, temples, baths, aqueduct, domus, amphitheatre, brothel); Avellino Cathedral with Romanesque crypt on a Roman villa site; the church and convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie (1580); remains of the Lombard castle in Piazza Castello; and the 17th-century Fountain of Bellerophon by Cosimo Fanzago. Museums include the National Gallery of Selachoidei, Museum of Art, Museum of the Cathedral and Diocese, Provincial Archaeological Museum, Provincial Art Gallery, and Zoological Museum of invertebrates. The nearest airports are Salerno-Pontecagnano (51 km) and Napoli-Capodichino (53 km). The railway station at the city limits once served Benevento, Cancello, and Rocchetta Sant'Antonio; long-distance services ended in 2010, and most local services closed in 2012, with a few reinstated in October 2012. Road access is via the A16 Autostrada (Avellino Est and Ovest exits) and the Ofantina superstrada. Public transport is by AIR Campania, including a trolleybus route opened in 2023.

Did You Know?

• Avellino sits on the type locality of pumice from a Plinian eruption of Vesuvius about 3800 years ago.
• The 1980 Irpinia earthquake spurred infrastructure investment and economic expansion, raising per capita income to €20,180 by 2008.
• The city's economy historically relied on agriculture, especially tobacco, viticulture, and hazelnuts.
• Avellino's industrial zones include FMA, which produces Fiat Pratola Serra modular engines.