Carcere Borbonico di Avellino

The Bourbon Prison of Avellino is a monumental complex located in the centre of the provincial capital of Irpinia, a few steps from Corso Vittorio Emanuele II.

Commissioned by Ferdinand I of Austria and designed in 1826 by the engineer Giuliano De Fazio, the monumental complex of the Bourbon Prison of Avellino was begun in 1827 and completed around the 1840s. 

The complex, on a hexagonal plan, consists of five arms distributed in a radial pattern, intended for prison detention; the main building, seat of the director's offices; the tholos, a central circular body used as a chapel and as a connection point between all the pavilions; the inner courtyard.

The wonderful structure actively served as a prison until 1987. Today, instead, the monumental complex is the most important museum in the province of Avellino, with pavilions, halls and dedicated activities. Some sections of the Irpino Museum stand out, such as: the art gallery, the lapidary, the deposit that can be visited, the Renaissance section, the scientific section and the new exhibition itinerary “Irpinia. Memory and Evolution”, a guide to the historical and cultural evolution of the province. Inside the structure there are also the State Archives, an auditorium and a "Red Room" for conferences. 

The Bourbon prison of Avellino, guardian of the history and civilization of Irpinia, is one of the most important and representative cultural symbols of the provincial capital.