Monteforte Irpino

The Municipality of Monteforte Irpino is located in the Partenio Park area. It's a town with 11,933 inhabitants, located 502 metres above sea level, at 9 km from Avellino. The territory extends for 26.96 sq km and the adjoining municipalities are: Avellino, Contrada, Forino, Mercogliano, Moschiano, Mugnano del Cardinale, Taurano and Visciano. It's crossed by the stream Fenestrelle.
The etymology of the name seems to relate to the Montfort family of feudal lords, who arrived in Southern Italy in 1266 following Charles I of Anjou. The inhabitants are called Montefortesi and Saint Martin is their patron saint.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Castle ruins - It was probably an ancient Roman castrum, on which a real castle was built, probably by the Lombards in the 7th-8th century
Church of San Martino Vescovo (Saint Martin of Tours) - The oldest religious building in the town, it dates back to the 15th century and has a nave and three aisles
Former Loffredo Orphanage - Currently the seat of the Town Hall, it dates back to the early 20th century and has been recently restored
Church of San Nicola di Bari (Saint Nicholas) - From the 17th century, it preserves some 18th century canvases of the Neapolitan and Solimenian school with religious subjects
Other - "Carlo III di Borbone" Fountain, Church of Sant'Anna (Saint Anne), Church of Santa Maria del Carmelo (Saint Mary of Mount Carmel), Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie (Holy Mary of Graces), Chapel of San Vincenzo (Saint Vincent)

EVENTS

Feast of Saint Martin - Celebrations in honour of the patron saint which take place in November
Parade of the Battenti (Barefoot Confreres) - Suggestive event that takes place on the occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Zeza di Monteforte - An ancient tradition that distinguishes the Monteforte Carnival
Palium Sancti Martini - Event full of workshops, debates, initiatives for children and families, concerts, historical parade, medieval combat, flag-wavers, artisans and falconers

TYPICAL FOOD AND PRODUCTS

Semolina pasta - The tradition of durum wheat semolina pasta from Monteforte is ancient: the remains of numerous mills and the skilled hands that preserve the tradition testify to this
Fiano di Avellino DOCG  - One of the finest white wines in Italy and on the international market
Hazelnut - Strong presence of hazelnut cultivation, already existing in Campania in the Roman era
Murzetti - Biscuits filled with hazelnuts
Nocino - Nut-based liqueur
Caciocavallo Silano PDO - Semi-hard cheese, with spun curd, produced with milk from different breeds of cows, including Podolica

FUN FACTS

Various legends hover around the Castle: one of these tells of an extraordinary treasure hidden inside the fortress, which was attacked several times with the aim of taking it; another, the best known, is that of the "betrothed" which tells of a girl who committed suicide by launching herself from the tower, in order not to marry the man destined for her by the will of her father.

HISTORICAL NOTES

Built in the Lombard period (6th - 7th century AD), the Castle of Monteforte Irpino appears in a donation of the 9th century and in a map of 1102, which attributes the possession to Richard I of Normandy.
After belonging to the Francisio and Hohemburg families, the fiefdom was granted by Charles of Anjou to Guy de Montfort, Earl of Leicester. His family was deprived of it for his participation in the assassination of Henry of Cornwall, grandson of King Henry III of England (1270). Then passed to the Orsini, counts of Nola, it resisted the siege of Ferdinand I of Aragon, whose aim was of repressing the "conspiracy of the barons" (1485).
Later it became the property of the Loffredo family, who administered it until the subversion of feudalism, which took place in 1806.