Sant'Angelo all'Esca

The Municipality of Sant'Angelo all'Esca rises in the area of the Calore Valley. It's a village with 749 inhabitants, located 460 metres above sea level, at 30 km from Avellino. The territory extends for 5.46 sq km and the adjoining municipalities are: Fontanarosa, Luogosano, Mirabella Eclano and Taurasi.
The etymology of the name refers, in the first part, to the cult for the patron saint, while the specification "all' Esca" could derive from the Latin term iscla, that is flat area rich in water, or from the Greek etymology, èoxàpai, the altar on which sacrificial victims were immolated. The inhabitants are called Santangiolesi and Saint Michael the Archangel is their patron.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Church of San Michele Arcangelo (Saint Michael the Archangel) - Religious building of the 12th-13th century: restored several times over the years, it is characterized by a three-level bell tower and a beautiful stone portal
Belvedere - Terrace that offers a suggestive view over the Calore Valley
Hunting Lodge - Old stately home, located in an open and panoramic space
Church of Madonna del Carmine (Our Lady of Mount Carmel) - Located at the entrance to the town, in the Taverna area
Church of San Rocco (Saint Roch) - Located in the central Piazza Dante

EVENTS

EscaJazz - International jazz festival, scheduled for August
Lo Pastiero - Food and wine event, scheduled for December
Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel - Religious celebrations in honour of the patron saint, scheduled for the months of May and September
Correre tra le Terre di Bacco (Run across the Lands of Bacchus) - 11 km running race that also crosses the municipalities of Luogosano and Taurasi
Cuttlefish Festival - Food and wine event, scheduled in August

TYPICAL FOOD AND PRODUCTS

Lo Pastiero - Traditional savoury tart, made with 2,000 eggs, 40 kilos of pasta and 70 kilos of cheese
Siccia 'mbuttita - Stuffed cuttlefish, stuffed with bread, garlic and parsley
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, characterized by a pleasant bitter and spicy taste

FUN FACTS

According to a legend, the origins of Sant'Angelo all'Esca are linked to the figure of the priestess Lollia and to the Greek term èoxàpai, that is the altar on which the sacrificial victims were immolated, from which the specification of the name could derive.
The cult of Saint Michael the Archangel was imported by the Lombards who, following contamination with the indigenous Christians, converted to the new faith, replacing their warrior deity Wotan with the figure of Saint Michael.

HISTORICAL NOTES

The origins of Sant'Angelo all'Esca are uncertain and often refer to a series of legends or popular beliefs: the most accredited hypothesis is that, since Roman times, some settlements occupied the current territory of Sant'Angelo, exploiting the fertility of the land particularly favourable to the cultivation of vines and grapes.
The current village was built in the early Middle Ages and, for a long time, was the hamlet of the fiefs of Acquaputida (now Mirabella Eclano) and Frigento. Among the families who took turns at his guide, there were the Gesualdo, the Ludovisi, the Spinelli and the Bruno. The latter administered Sant'Angelo all'Esca, until the subversion of feudalism, which took place in 1806.
Like many other communities in the province of Avellino, also the population of Sant'Angelo all'Esca has experienced a drastic reduction in the number of inhabitants, mainly due to a massive phenomenon of emigration which started after World War II.