Sirignano

The Municipality of Sirignano rises in the Lower Irpinia area. It's a town with 2,845 inhabitants, located 270 metres above sea level, at 20 km from Avellino. The territory extends for 6.19 sq km and the adjoining municipalities are: Avella, Baiano, Mugnano del Cardinale, Quadrelle and Summonte. It's crossed by the river Clanio.
The etymology of the name seems to come from the name of the owner of a large estate with an adjoining rustic villa, Serenius, a toponym from which the term "Sirignano" is derived. The inhabitants are called Sirignanesi and their patron saint is Saint Andrew the Apostle.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Caravita Palace - Dating back to 1754, it was bought by the prince of Sirignano, Giuseppe Caravita, who made it a splendid meeting place for nobles and artists
Church of Sant'Andrea Apostolo (Saint Andrew the Apostle) - Dating back to 1308-1310, it houses a precious sacred vestment, partly a gift by the Sirignano community
Chapel of the Madonna dell'Arco (Our Lady of the Arch) - Built at the beginning of 1600 by the Sgambati family, it has a single nave and a single altar
Naturalistic resources - Bocca dell'Acqua Spring, Pine forest in the Tagliata area, Fornino Woods

EVENTS

Festa patronale dei Battenti (Patronal Feast of the Barefoot Confreres) - Penitential procession that takes place on the last Sunday of August, in honour of the patron saint
Pomigliano Jazz - Festival dedicated to jazz music which, in past editions, has also included some stages in Sirignano
Natale Piccirillo festival - Food and wine event that accompanies the religious celebrations in honour of Saint Andrew the Apostle, scheduled in November
I Mesi e la Zeza - A traditional road show takes place during the Carnival period, based on the representation of the months of the year and on the so-called "Cantata di Zeza"
Cotoletta Sirignanese festival - Food and wine event, scheduled in June

TYPICAL FOOD AND PRODUCTS

Linguine pasta with walnuts and anchovies - Typical dish of the Sirignano cousine, served mostly during the "Natale Piccirillo"
Pizza di raurinio with broccoli - Traditional pizza, prepared with white corn flour
Hazelnut - The Avellana/Irpina hazelnut, with its strong historic, cultural and socioeconomic bond with the area of origin (Lower Irpinia) represents a culinary delight also in the Sirignano territory
Caciocavallo Silano PDO - Semi-hard cheese, with spun curd, produced with milk from different breeds of cows, including Podolica

FUN FACTS

In 2009, the Municipality of Sirignano won the prize "Ottima Qualità della Vita" (Excellent quality of life) at the Swiss International Holiday Exhibition in Lugano.
On the occasion of the traditional Patronal Feast of the Barefoot Confreres, a large group of citizens of Sirignano makes a journey of about 10 km barefoot, wearing entirely white clothes, with a long red bandolier twisted around the waist.
During the celebrations in honour of Saint Andrew the Apostle, the families of Sirignano gather for a traditional dinner based on fish and vegetables, similar to that of Christmas Eve: hence, the name of "Natale Piccirillo", i.e. "Small Christmas".

HISTORICAL NOTES

The first information on the existence of Sirignano dates back to the early 12th century, with the donation of land owned by a man named Angelo, called "Scambatus", to the monastery of Montevergine. That territory was most probably populated by citizens from Avella who had escaped the barbarian invasions and settled along the slopes of Mount Campimma, in the town still known today as San Celiesto.
For many centuries, Sirignano was a hamlet of Avella, until 1614, when the local community was unable to obtain a first form of independence, stipulating an agreement with the Avella University to be able to elect its own administrators. In 1806, with the subversion of feudalism and the consequent administrative reorganization, the town became an autonomous municipality.
In 1884, the assets of the former farmhouse were purchased by Giuseppe Caravita, prince of Sirignano, who contributed to the restructuring of the ancient palace which, today, bears his name.