Aiello del Sabato

The Municipality of Aiello del Sabato rises in the area of the Sabato Valley. It's a town with 4,035 inhabitants, located 425 metres above sea level, at 6 km from Avellino. The territory extends for 10.87 sq km and the adjoining municipalities are: Atripalda, Avellino, Cesinali, Contrada, San Michele di Serino, Serino and Solofra. The Sabato river runs through it.
The etymology of the name seems to come from the Latin ager, which means "field", and Sabatia since it was founded by Sabatio, son of Clus. The inhabitants are called Aiellesi. Saint Sebastian and Saint Fabian are their patrons.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Church of Santa Maria della Natività (Saint Mary of the Nativity) - Mother Church which presumably dates back to the 16th century and, starting from 1750, has undergone several restorations; the ceiling is decorated with a characteristic fresco depicting the "Nativity of the Madonna"
Church of San Sebastiano e Fabiano (Saints Sebastian and Fabian) - 17th-century religious building of considerable historical interest with a stone entrance portal
Ricciardelli Palace - Adjacent to the Church of San Sebastiano, it stands out for its suggestive internal courtyard and skilfully worked stone
Church of San Felice Martire (Saint Felix the Martyr) - Located in the hamlet of Tavernola San Felice, it preserves historical evidence on the façade
Church of San Pietro Apostolo (Saint Peter the Apostle) - Located in the Sabina hamlet, on the left side of the external façade it has a headless statue from the Roman era depicting, most likely, a beheaded soldier
Parisi Palace - Historic building, recently restored, which has lost its original aesthetic characteristics, but not its charm
Villa Preziosi - 19th-century construction, located in the hamlet of Tavernola San Felice, with an internal courtyard with two orders, visible from the outside
Other - War Memorial, Portals and Coat of Arms in stone, Church of San Raffaele (Saint Raphael), Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (Holy Mary of Graces)

EVENTS

Patronal feast - Celebrations in honour of Saints Sebastian and Fabiano, with the lighting of the "Focarone", scheduled for mid-January
Fiano Music Festival - Food and wine, music and art festival held between the end of August and the beginning of September
Nocciolandia - Cultural and gastronomic review focused on typical products such as hazelnuts, walnuts and chestnuts, scheduled for October

TYPICAL FOOD AND PRODUCTS

Fiano di Avellino DOCG - One of the finest white wines in Italy and on the international market
Pomegranate - Indigenous variety of the territory, the "Roce" and the "Granato”
Cecatielli with beans - Typical peasant dish of short pasta made by hand
Serino Chestnut PGI - Among the best varieties of chestnuts in Italy, as well as the most exported to international markets
Hazelnut - Typical product of the territory, present in the "Mortarella" and "Giffoni" varieties

FUN FACTS

Joanna I of Anjou (1326-1382), queen of Naples, stayed in Aiello del Sabato for 25 days in the historic Ricciardelli Palace.
The village of Tavernola San Felice, which currently has about 600 inhabitants, was a municipality of the Kingdom of Italy until 1927, when it was incorporated into the territory of Aiello del Sabato.

HISTORICAL NOTES

The foundation of Aiello del Sabato seems to be linked to Sabatia, a mythical Samnite city, but what is known with certainty about its history is that in Roman times its territory was included in the colony of Abellinum, while in the Lombard age it was the hamlet of Atripalda.
In the second half of 1200 this fiefdom was granted to the noble Jean de Bailly by the Angevins and the Orsini and the Caracciolo are mentioned among the noble families who owned it.
The territory of Aiello del Sabato was strongly shaken by the earthquake of 1980, but it should be emphasized how this municipality, unlike many other towns in the province of Avellino, has had - probably also thanks to its proximity to the capital - a significant increase in the number of inhabitants over the last few years.