"At the Sources of Clanio: Avella between prehistory and modern age"

The Municipality of Avella and the University of Molise are pleased to announce the Conference “At the Sources of Clanio: Avella between prehistory and the modern age”, which will be held on Friday 11 October at the Biancardi Theatre.

The event, organised with the scientific contribution of the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Provinces of Salerno and Avellino and the Regional Secretariat for Campania, as well as with the organisational support of Avellarte, is part of the activities planned in the five-year memorandum of understanding signed on 16 February between the Municipality of Avella and the University of Molise with the aim of promoting the enhancement and tourist development of the Avella area, which includes archaeological sites frequented from prehistory to the post-medieval period.

The day of study, which received the patronage of the Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education of the University of Molise, will be divided into two thematic sessions. The first, scheduled for the morning, includes interventions that will explore the most ancient phases of population of the territory, starting from prehistory up to the Roman age, with the aim of broadening the view to recent archaeological research and new investigative perspectives. The second session, scheduled for the afternoon, will focus on the medieval and modern period, with a focus on the rock church of S. Michele and the water resources of the Clanio valley.

During the day, it will also be possible to take a guided tour of the Grotta di S. Michele, a destination for pilgrims since the Middle Ages, which has assumed a historical-artistic and religious importance by virtue of the extraordinary cycles of frescoes kept inside.

The initiative therefore represents an important opportunity to promote knowledge and valorization of the very rich cultural and historical heritage of Avella, which ranges from prehistory to the modern age, highlighting the central role that the city has played over the centuries as a crossroads of cultures and civilizations. The conference aims not only to shed light on new archaeological discoveries and recent studies conducted in the area, but also to raise awareness among the local community and visitors about the importance of protecting and conserving these assets. The event also aims to encourage the development of new interdisciplinary research and the creation of scientific collaborations between the various universities and institutions involved, paving the way for future study and tourism development projects.

PROGRAM

9:30 AM - INSTITUTIONAL GREETINGS
Dr. Vincenzo Biancardi - Mayor of Avella
Prof. Carlo Ebanista - University of Molise
Dr. Raffaella Bonaudo - Superintendent of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Provinces of Salerno and Avelino
Mons. Francesco Marino - Bishop of Nola
Dr. Felice Napolitano - President of the Cimitile Prize Foundation

10:00 AM - SESSION I
Antonella Minelli - University of Molise
"Prehistory in the Clanio valley and in the territory of Avella: history of research and future prospects"

Raffaella Bonaudo - Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Provinces of Salerno and Avellino
"Avella before Abella"

Amedeo Rossi - University of Salerno
"Avella. From the Oscan settlement to the Roman city: urban organization and rural space"

Mario Cesarano - Regional Directorate of Museums Campania
"An atelier for Etruscan-Corinthian ceramics between Avella and Nola"

Eliana Mugione - University of Salerno
"Inside and outside the city. The investigations of the University of Salerno in the area of ​​the Amphitheater of Avella"

Aniello Parma - Giustino Fortunato University
"Elite and urban society of Roman Abella: between the 1st century BC and the late ancient age"

Teresa Piscitelli - University of Naples "Federico II"
"Avella in the poems of Paolino di Nola"

Teresa Elena Cinquantaquattro - Regional Secretariat for Campania
Domenico Camardo - Packard Institute for Cultural Heritage, Ercolano
"The castle of Avella: the fortifications and the settlement between the early and late Middle Ages"

GUIDED TOUR OF THE CAVE OF ST. MICHELE

3:00 PM - SESSION II
Immacolata Aulisa - University of Bari "Aldo Moro"
"From Gargano to Europe: the spread of the cult of St. Michael through the centuries"

Carlo Ebanista - University of Molise
"Intus quandam griptam montanee extra terram Avellarum: the rock church of St. Michael and its pictorial cycles"

Maria Rosaria Marchionibus - University of Naples L'Orientale
"The Crown and the Milk: An Image of Royal Maternity in the Rock Church of S. Michele in Avella"

Lorenza Longobardi - University of Molise
"The Frescoes of the Chapel of the Savior in the Rock Church of S. Michele in Avella"

Daniele Ferraiuolo - Ca' Foscari University of Venice
"Rock Church of S. Michele in Avella: The Painted Inscriptions in the Chapel of the Savior"

Antonia Solpietro - Diocese of Nola
"The Statue of S. Michele in the Rock Church of Avella: Replica of a Well-Known Exemplar by Andrea Ferrucci"

Iolanda Donnarumma - University of Molise
"In itinere molendinis: the exploitation of water resources in the Clanio valley between the late Middle Ages and the modern age

DISCUSSION

Scientific committee:
Raffaella Bonaudo
Teresa Elena Cinquantaquattro
Carlo Ebanista
Iolanda Donnarumma
Antonello Minelli

Organizing committee:
Michele Amato
Ignazio Colantuono
Lorenza Longobardi
Nelly Russo