Fontanarosa

The Municipality of Fontanarosa is located within the area of the Calore Valley. It is a town of 3,011 inhabitants, located 480 metres above sea level and 35 km from Avellino. The territory extends for 16.7 sq km and the adjoining municipalities are: Gesualdo, Grottaminarda, Luogosano, Mirabella Eclano, Paternopoli and Sant’Angelo all’Esca.
The etymology of the name would seem to come from the Fontanarosa family who kept it as a fief, but more correctly, the popular tradition refers to the presence, in ancient times, of a ferruginous spring (fountain) located in a rose garden, with reddish waters. The inhabitants are called Fontanarosani and Saint Nicholas is their patron saint.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Sanctuary of Maria SS. della Misericordia (Most Holy Mother of Mercy) - Linked, according to legend and tradition, to the miraculous statue of the Madonna, it is a unique example of its kind for the group of decorative elements and works of art of great value
Civic Museum - Museum of the “3 Ps” Pietra, Paglia and Presepe (Stone, Straw and Nativity), inside it preserves the pieces that make up the straw cart, some stone sculptures and a monumental nativity scene
Church of San Nicola (Saint Nicholas) - Majestic architectural work of the Norman era, it is linked to the strong devotion of the community for the patron saint and inside it one can admire several statues of saints and paintings of great artistic value
Historic Centre - Rich in beautiful stone portals of the 17th-18th century and several 16th-century loggias, it is a very characteristic historic centre made mainly of limestone extracted on site
Aristocratic Palaces - Barbaro Palace, Troisi Palace, Penta Palace and Baronial Palace
Other Churches - Church of the Santissima Annunziata (Most Holy Annunciation) and Church of the Immacolata (Immaculate Conception)

EVENTS

Tirata del Carro (Dragging of the Cart) - Very ancient traditional initiative that is renewed every year, on 14 August: oxen from the countryside pull the cart to the Sanctuary in honour of the Mother of Mercy

TYPICAL FOOD AND PRODUCTS

Tutoli al Ragù - Called so only in Fontanarosa, they would be called cecatielli (cavatelli) in the rest of Irpinia: it is an excellent fresh handmade pasta with meat sauce
Taurasi DOCG - Wine of great tradition, made thanks to a very ancient grape variety: well structured, elegant and austere but, at the same time, balanced and tannic; suitable for a very long ageing, also thanks to its structure, minerality, good alcohol content and fullness
Irpinia Colline dell’Ufita PDO - Extra virgin olive oil deriving largely from the Ravece variety, characterised by a pleasant bitter and spicy taste
Millefiori Honey - It is produced with extraction and preservation techniques unchanged over time and consists of the nectar of different flowers with organoleptic characteristics (PAT)

FUN FACTS

The name “Carro” (Cart) draws its origin, most likely, from the way in which the peasants brought the grain in homage to the pagan deities, precisely on a cart pulled by oxen.
Fontanarosa links its fame above all to the ancient art of stone working extracted directly from the quarries in the area: the typical stone of the area is the Irpinian breccia.

HISTORICAL NOTES

The origin of Fontanarosa is closely linked to the history of Aeclanum. This was an important Samnite administrative and commercial centre, built on the route of the Via Appia, which, after a long period of prosperity, was put to the test by violent seismic events, earthquakes and wars; in particular, in the 6th century AD Aeclanum was involved in the wars between the Goths and the Byzantines, until the arrival of the Lombards and the transit, in 662 AD, of Emperor Constans II of Byzantium, directed to the siege of Benevento, which completely destroyed it. Many of the Eclanese, therefore, fled to find refuge in neighbouring territories, giving rise to numerous towns, including Fontanarosa. Fontanarosa was thus founded between the 7th and 8th centuries AD, in the Lombard era.
Among the different families that owned the fief of Fontanarosa we mention the Fontanarosa, Gesualdo (until the 17th century), Ludovisio and Tocco di Montemiletto families.