Vallata

The Municipality of Vallata is located in the Baronia area. It's a town with 2,670 inhabitants, located 870 metres above sea level, at 67 km from Avellino. The territory extends for 47.91 sq km and the adjoining municipalities are: Bisaccia, Carife, Guardia Lombardi, Scampitella and Trevico. It's crossed by the Ufita and Calaggio rivers, along which there are also small lakes.
The etymology of the name seems to come from the geographical position of its medieval settlement, called "Vallata"; according to others it refers to a certain "Pandolfo da Vallata", due to a document dated 1096. The inhabitants are called Vallatesi and Saint Bartholomew is their patron.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Villa Tullio Cataldo - One of the most important buildings in the town: located in the area where the castle once stood, it's the residence of the homonymous family
Gallicchio Palace - Historical building of Renaissance style, built in the 13th century and located in the historic centre of Vallata
Church of San Bartolomeo (Saint Bartholomew) - Mother Church, of medieval origin and subsequently restored in 1568 and 1785: it houses, inside, a painting attributed to Lanfranco
Church of San Rocco - Small church built in the second half of 1600 in honour of Saint Roch, protector against the plague
Church of San Vito (Saint Vitus) - Small religious building located on the outskirts of the town, characterized by a peculiar stone façade
Netta Palace - The building, abandoned after the 1980 earthquake, was the residence of the noble family of the same name
Cataldo Palace - One of the historic buildings in the centre of the ancient town: from its position, it offers a splendid view
Villa Tullio Cataldo di Macchialvino - 19th-century mansion in the locality of the same name: it stands out for its four corner towers
Other - Chianchione District, Novia Palace, Church of S. Maria Stella del Mattino (Holy Mary Morning Star), Festole Fountain, Church of the Madonna del Carmine (Our Lady of Mount Carmel), Saint Roch panoramic viewpoint, Municipal library

EVENTS

Feast of Saint Anthony and Saint Vitus - Celebrations that take place from the 13th to the 15th of June with a religious and a civil part: it includes a particular tradition which consists of the "Procession of the panelle", small blessed loaves that are distributed to all the inhabitants
Feast of the Mattinella - Devotion shared with the Municipality of Andretta: it takes place on the last Saturday of May and consists in a pilgrimage on foot of about 15 km for the faithful
Maundy Thursday and Good Friday - One of the oldest traditions in Southern Italy: an evocative procession that traces the rites of the Death and Resurrection of Christ, involving the whole town
Feast of Saint Bartholomew - Patronal feast that takes place on the 24th of August, with a procession and evening accompanied by food and wine stands and music
Wheat Feast - It takes place in August in its most populous district, Sferracavallo, known for its production of wheat

TYPICAL FOOD AND PRODUCTS

Ufita cherry tomato PAT - Of medium-small size, it has a bright red colour and numerous seeds inside
Caciocavallo irpino di grotta PAT - Spun curd cheese, produced with milk from small and medium-sized farms, mainly from brown cattle, traditionally aged in caves
Cuccitedd e gaddina - Fresh homemade pasta topped with chicken sauce
Siffitt cu la cipodda - Typical traditional dish, consisting of fried lamb and onion
Irpinia Colline dell'Ufita PDO  - Extra virgin olive oil deriving largely from the Ravece variety, characterized by a pleasant bitter and spicy taste
Caciocavallo Silano PDO - Semi-hard cheese, with spun curd, produced with milk from different breeds of cows, including Podolica

FUN FACTS

From 1861 to 1926, Vallata was part of the Castelbaronia district, in the Ariano di Puglia administrative district, within the province of Avellino.

HISTORICAL NOTES

The discovery of archaeological finds dating back to the post-Samnite period and to the subsequent Roman expansion suggest the existence of a village in the current municipal area of Vallata already in the classical era. Its name, however, is mentioned for the first time in a document of 1096, drawn up by a certain Pandolfo da Vallata, a name of Lombard origin which, in turn, is linked to the typically medieval features of the Irpinian town.
Vallata belonged to the Del Balzo, Del Tufo, Poderico and Orsini families. Throughout its history, the local population has had to deal with the devastating effects of two plagues (1656 and 1764) and the earthquakes of 1732, 1910, 1930 and 1980.
Finally, the migratory phenomenon which, starting from the second half of the 19th century, has led many habitants of Vallata to leave their homeland to seek fortune in America and other Italian and European cities, has had repercussions on the social and demographic stratum of the whole community.