Vallesaccarda

The Municipality of Vallesaccarda is located in the Baronia area. It's a town with 1,308 inhabitants, located 650 metres above sea level, at 72 km from Avellino. The territory extends for 14.13 sq km and is enclosed between three waterways: the Ufita, the Calaggio and the Fiumarella stream. The neighbouring municipalities are: Anzano di Puglia, San Sossio Baronia, Scampitella and Trevico.
The etymology of the name is a compound of the noun "valley" and the anthroponym "Saccardo", which in this case has taken an adjectival form, probably referring to the founder. The inhabitants are called Vallesaccardesi and Our Lady Immaculate Conception is their patron.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Church of Maria Santissima Immacolata (Our Lady Immaculate) - Located in the central square of the town, the original layout should date back to the 17th century: the Church was rebuilt after the earthquake of the 23rd of July 1930
Church of San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph)- Located in Taverna delle Noci, it was rebuilt following the 1930 earthquake
Taverna delle Noci - Located near the Fiumarella stream, it's part of an area of archaeological interest, with the remains of a water mill that worked until 1930
Other - Arena Bianca Geo-park, natural itineraries and paths
Fountains - Serro D’Annunzio, Menichella, Cotugno, Sant'Antonio, Lapillo

EVENTS

Feast of Our Lady Immaculate - Celebrations in honour of the patron saint which take place in December and involve the whole community, with the return to the town of many emigrants

TYPICAL FOOD AND PRODUCTS

Irpinia Colline dell'Ufita PDO  - Extra virgin olive oil deriving largely from the Ravece variety, characterized by a pleasant bitter and spicy taste
Triilli with nuts - First course consisting of a typical fresh handmade pasta, similar to cavatelli but larger, seasoned with walnuts
Caciocavallo Silano PDO - Semi-hard cheese, with spun curd, produced with milk from different breeds of cows, including Podolica
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

FUN FACTS

Quintus Horatius Flaccus also wrote about Vallesaccarda, more precisely about an episode that took place in the locality of Taverna delle Noci. During his journey from Rome to Brindisi in 37 BC with Maecenas and Virgil, he told about a fleeting encounter with a young and beautiful local girl.
Vallesaccarda is home to the Oasis Sapori Antichi restaurant, known for its traditional dishes. In 2017, the restaurant was included in the list of the ten best restaurants in Italy, drawn up by the English newspaper The Guardian.

HISTORICAL NOTES

The first settlements in the current territory of Vallesaccarda date back to an ancient era: in many places, such as Mattine, Civita, Monte Mauro and Taverna delle Noci, numerous archaeological remains have been found which would demonstrate the correlation between the current Vallesaccarda area and the ancient communication routes, such as the Aurelia-Aeclanensis and the diverticulum that connected it with the Regio Tratturo (old transhumance route), reaching Traiana.
In medieval times, the fate of Vallesaccarda was closely linked to that of the Barony of Vico, until 1507, when it became the property of the Spanish captain Consalvo de Cordova. His daughter, Elvira, was sold eight years later to the President of the Sacred Royal Council of the Kingdom of Naples, Francesco Loffredo. The latter's family administered the town until the abolition of feudalism, which took place in 1806.
With the unification of Italy in 1861, Vallesaccarda continued to depend on Trevico, as a hamlet of the neighbouring municipality. It was only in 1958 that it managed to separate from it and become an autonomous municipality, the last of the Barony to obtain a municipal administration in its own right.