Ex Fornace Clemente-Malanga

The Clemente-Malanga Former Furnace is a place of historical interest located on Via Monacacchio in Sant'Andrea di Conza.

Opened in 1920, the former brick factory was in operation for over half a century until 1980, passing on the experience acquired by the succession of workers, who were key players in a real process of rural industrialisation in Southern Italy. An expression of entrepreneurship, as well as the industriousness of the working class, the historic factory saw the succession of entire generations and their approach to work. It covered an area of about 1,400 m², divided into different buildings constructed at different times, with different materials and geometries, and the work there consisted of processing masonry stone, wood, and wrought iron, as well as the production of construction bricks, in a seasonal work cycle that produced quantities typical of an industrial entity.

The building, some of the structures of which were already precarious, was severely damaged in the earthquake of 23 November, 1980. This made it impossible to restore it at the same site and it was decided to carry out an industrial archaeology project, of which the former furnace became an emblem with the establishment of the Centro Sociale Polivalente (Multi-purpose Social Centre). The heart of Sant'Andrea di Conza and a symbol of the monumental wealth of the Upper Irpinia area, its structural restoration was followed by a functional one, with the new spaces being used to organise cultural, artistic, and other events. In 2018, the municipal administration of Sant'Andrea di Conza decided to name the new centre after Professor Gabriele Giorgio, an illustrious figure in the Sant'Andrea community, who has long worked for the cultural and social growth of the town. 

With deep links to the history of the local community, the Ex Fornace (Former Furnace) represents a symbol of great interest and cultural value, as well as of industrial archaeology.