Mugnano del Cardinale

The Municipality of Mugnano del Cardinale rises in the area of Lower Irpinia. It's a town with 5,158 inhabitants, located 250 metres above sea level, at 22 km from Avellino. The territory extends for 12.30 sq km and the adjacent municipalities are Baiano, Mercogliano, Monteforte Irpino, Quadrelle, Sirignano and Visciano. It's crossed by the stream Acqualonga.
The etymology of the name of the town seems to come from fundus Munianus, that is "Munio's fund", a property which, for some particular reason, was of great importance and from which "Mugnano" would originate; the specification "del Cardinale" derives from Cardinal Giovanni d'Aragona. The inhabitants are called Mugnanesi and Saint Philomena is their patron saint.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Sanctuary of Santa Filomena (Saint Philomena) - this religious building is the destination of continuous pilgrimages: it's flanked by a chapel of the same name which houses the relics of the patron saint
Church of the SS. Maria del Carmine e Liberatore (Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the Holy Liberator) - Built in the 17th century, it has a façade in late Baroque style and it houses many works of art
Ruins of the Castle of the Litto - Ruins of the ancient fortress, located on the upland of mount Litto
Aragon Palace - 15th century building, also known as "Cardinal's Palace", as it was commissioned by Cardinal Giovanni d'Aragona (1456-1485), as a permanent administrative seat and abbey palace
Church of the Ascension - It stands out for its high altar decorated with polychrome marbles embellished with mother-of-pearl and side sculptures depicting the Cupids
Church of Jesus and Mary - Hermitage built by the will of the Sisters of Charity of the Sanctuary
Villa San Pietro - The convent, located in the hamlet of San Pietro a Cesarano houses the Pastoral Centre "Giovanni Paolo II"
Naturalistic paths - The paths of Mount Litto for lovers of trekking and excursions

EVENTS

Battenti di Santa Filomena (Barefoot Confreres of Saint Philomena) - Religious procession in honour of Saint Philomena, scheduled in August
Feast of Holy Mary of Graces - Religious feasts scheduled in July
Autumn Fest - Food and wine event, scheduled in October
Pork Festival - Food and wine event, scheduled in October
Feast of Saint Anthony - Religious feasts held in June
Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel - Religious event scheduled in July
Mugnano Carnival - Celebrations with parade and traditional masks, scheduled in the week of Shrove Tuesday
Christmas Atmosphere - Christmas celebrations, scheduled in December and January

TYPICAL FOOD AND PRODUCTS

Salame di Mugnano PAT - Typical salami of the municipal territory of Mugnano, it has the recognition of a traditional agri-food product (i.e. recognition similar to the European Protected Geographical Status)
Cicoli PAT - Typical dish of the culinary tradition of Lower Irpinia, based on pork fat: they are often used as an integration for pizzas and rustic pies
Fiocco di prosciutto PAT – Also known as “Culatello di Mugnano”, it's a highly valuable smoked salami, obtained from the femur of the posterior thighs of the pig after a long working process
Tracchie - Pork ribs, used both as a base for main courses and as a dressing for first courses
Hazelnut - This product is widespread in Lower Irpinia, in particular in the Mandamento Baianese area
Chestnuts - The territory in which Mugnano del Cardinale stands is renowned for the quality and good taste of the chestnuts
Caciocavallo Silano PDO - Semi-hard cheese, with spun curd, produced with milk from different breeds of cows, including Podolica

FUN FACTS

The relics of Saint Januarius were kept inside Aragon Palace for a short period of time during their journey from the Sanctuary of Montevergine to the Cathedral of Naples.
The most important event in the history of Mugnano occurred in 1805, when the priest from Mugnano Francesco di Lucia brought the remains of a young Christian martyr, a woman, found three years earlier in the Catacomb of Priscilla, to the town. This gave rise to the cult of Saint Philomena, which spread throughout the south of Italy, also thanks to the protection of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies.

HISTORICAL NOTES

The first settlements in the territory of Mugnano del Cardinale date back to the period between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD: the area, in fact, was populated by veterans of the Roman army, who were assigned vast portions of arable land.
In 1312, Riccardo Scillato II, the baron of Litto and Ponte Mignano, ceded his possession to the Abbey of Montevergine, including Mugnano Del Cardinale which, from this moment on, was influenced by its events.
In fact in 1511 Montevergine (which became Commenda in the meantime) first passed to Cardinal Ludovico d'Aragona and then, four years later, to the Santa Casa dell'Annunziata institution in Naples. Mugnano del Cardinale remained under its jurisdiction until 1806, the year of the abolition of feudalism.