Lapio

The Municipality of Lapio is located in the Calore Valley area. It's a village of 1,700 inhabitants, located 480 meters above sea level and 20 km from Avellino. The territory extends for 15.25 sq km and the adjoining municipalities are: Chiusano di San Domenico, Luogosano, Montefalcione, Montemiletto, San Mango sul Calore and Taurasi.
The etymology of the name comes, according to some, from the Latin lapideum, meaning "rocky", a term later transformed into Lapio; others, however, affirm that the name derives from the Fiano di Avellino DOCG, produced in this land, precisely in the agricultural area called "Apia", corresponding to the territory of today's Lapio, from which the term ''Apiano'' derives. The inhabitants are called Lapiani and Saint Peter the Martyr is their patron.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Filangieri Palace - An illustrious family whose origins date back to the Norman era
Ponte Principe bridge - Exceptional work on the Calore river, along the Avellino-Rocchetta railway, which represented the triumph of progress in 1893
Church of Santa Caterina Vergine e Martire (Saint Catherine Virgin and Martyr) - Façade with pilasters and cornices, it houses the tomb of Cardinal Giuseppe Caprio
Church of Madonna della Neve (Our Lady of the Snow) - Built in 1598, it was entirely rebuilt in 1903, with bricks and marble
Church of San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph) - Inside, characterized by a single nave, it preserves a 19th century organ
Church of Loreto - A cult building, it has all the characteristic elements of late 19th-century architecture
Church of Mount Carmel - Religious building that does not stand on a stylobate, a feature that gives it a sense of humility and hospitality
Archaeological Area - Located in the former convent of S. Maria degli Angeli (Saint Mary of the Angels), it is defined by the Lapiani "old cemetery"
Historic Centre - Characterized by historic buildings, squares and streets, vivid evidence of Lapio's roots

EVENTS

Fiano Love Fest - Wine festival in the village of Lapio with the stands of the most important wineries in the area, which takes place on the first weekend of August
Lapio Mysteries - A procession that has centuries old roots and is an Easter tradition
Trekking in the vineyard - Naturalistic trekking activity during the harvest
The "Lumanerie" of Saint Catherine - Lighting of bonfires in the streets of the town at the passage of the Saint, which includes an award ceremony for the "brightest" bonfire and an evening of popular music with embers, typical dishes and white wines
Fireworks Train - Fireworks show at the Ponte Principe bridge

TYPICAL FOOD AND PRODUCTS

Fiano di Avellino DOCG - One of the finest white wines in Italy and on the international market
Honey - The valuable honey of the town has been defined as the best honey in the world at the International Honey Quality Competition
Irpinia Colline dell'Ufita PDO - Extra virgin olive oil deriving largely from the Ravece variety, characterized by a pleasant bitter and spicy taste
Mogliatielli - Made with the entrails of suckling lamb (tripe and intestines)

FUN FACTS

The Ponte Principe bridge of the Avellino-Rocchetta Sant'Antonio railway line, suspended over the Calore river, was built in 1893 with the same construction technique as the Eiffel Tower.

HISTORICAL NOTES

The settlements in the Calore Valley date back to 181 BC, when the Roman consuls Publio Cornelio Cetego and Marco Bebio Tanfilo subjected the Apuan Ligurians and ordered their deportation to Sannio, but also in some areas of Irpinia. Some argue, in fact, that the diffusion in these areas of the Apuan vine (from which the famous Fiano wine is still obtained today) should be attributed precisely to the Apuan Ligurians.
Subjected to various feudal dominions, Lapio preserves one of the most important testimonies of the Renaissance age in Irpinia: the Castle, which is located right in the heart of the ancient village has been transformed, as it is seen today, following the abolition of fiefs by Giuseppe Napoleone in 1806.