Pietrastornina

The Municipality of Pietrastornina is located within the area of the Partenio Park. It's a town with 1,526 inhabitants, located 513 metres above sea level, at 16 km from Avellino. The territory extends for 15.73 sq km and the adjoining municipalities are: Altavilla Irpina, Arpaise, Pannarano, Roccabascerana, Sant’Angelo a Scala and Summonte.
The etymology of the name comes from a large rock that identifies the town, once fortified, around which the primitive inhabited area was formed, while the medieval term sturminare stands for “push back”, from which Petrasturminea, then vulgarised in the current “Pietrastornina”. The inhabitants are called Pietrastorninesi and Saint Blaise is their patron saint.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Campobasso Palace - Also known as “Baronial Palace”, it was built at the behest of Ugone Pagano, probably in the first decade of the 17th century
Porta Urbana (Town Gate) - Consisting of a long barrel vault that originally covered a stretch of 12 m of road, presumably dates back to the 12th-15th century
Church of the Santissima Annunziata (Most Holy Annunciation) - Mother Church of the town, built after the collapse of the ancient Archpriest Church of Santa Maria de Iuso and consecrated in 1761
Casa Germana - Building that dates back to the last century and that, with its simple flat-volumetric and formal connotations, symbolises the construction type of houses built outside the medieval village
Ruins of the Castle - Remains of the fortress built in the Lombard era on the large rocky spire that crowns the town of the medieval village
Church of the sacri Cuori di Gesù e Maria (Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary) - Founded in 1919 and located in the hamlet of Furmo, it is defined as the Rectory of the Parish of Maria Santissima Annunziata (Holy Mary of the Annunciation) of Pietrastornina
Church of the Madonna del Carmelo (Our Lady of Mount Carmel) - Church dating back to 20 February 1742 and which, originally, was of modest size: subsequently, it was enlarged
Church of Santi Giovanni, Bartolomeo and Rocco (Saints John, Bartholomew and Roch) - Finished in 1722, its bell tower was built in 1903
Other - Chapel of San Berardino, Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (Holy Mary of Graces), Donato Massa Museum

EVENTS

Feast of Saint Blaise - Celebrations in honour of the patron saint that take place on 3 February
Carnival - Festival with masks, music and entertainment
Culurgiones Festival - Gastronomic event focused on the “culurgiones”, a kind of Sardinian ravioli with a heart of potatoes, mint, garlic and fresh pecorino cheese, which takes place on the occasion of Saint Peter’s Feast Day

TYPICAL FOOD AND PRODUCTS

Melannurca Campana PGI - The “Queen of Apples”, with its characteristic aroma and very fine scent
Caciocavallo Silano PDO - Semi-hard cheese, with spun curd, produced with milk from different breeds of cows, including Podolica

FUN FACTS

In Pietrastornina there are numerous CAI trekking paths, thanks to the many nature trails in the area. Precisely some of its peculiarities from the standpoint of territorial conformation, such as the rocky spire on which a castle was built, together with some stories handed down in popular culture, have meant that different and particular legends were born in the town.

HISTORICAL NOTES

The first time that Pietrastornina is named is in documents relating to the year 774, when the Lombard prince Arechi II gave the Church of Santa Sofia in Benevento the castle of Pietrasturminea. This suggests that the first village of this town developed during the Lombard age, right at the foot of the fortress.
Later historical information attests that Pietrastornina, initially a possession of Filippo Caracciolo, was taken by force in 1418 by Marino Della Leonessa. It was then sold to Giacomo Della Leonessa, with royal assent of 11 April 1450, and from him it was passed down, in 1461, to Fabrizio. Subsequently, under the reign of Ferdinand I of Aragon, it was purchased by Count Diomede Carafa.
The succession of new families remained until 1643 when, with the advent of Andrea Lattiero, all his descendants, belonging to the family of the same name, alternated at the helm of the town, until the abolition of feudalism which took place in 1806.