Many visitors think that the history of Avellino begins with the Lombard castle. In fact, to find the city's roots you need to travel a few kilometres to Atripalda, along the Sabato river. Here, on a plateau called the Civita, stood Abellinum, the Samnite and later Roman city from which Avellino takes its name. We spent half a day here and came away with a different view of Irpinia: not just a land of villages and vineyards, but of ancient cities too.
Abellinum, from the Samnites to Rome
On the Civita plateau, north-west of today's centre of Atripalda and on the left bank of the Sabato, a Samnite settlement already existed between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. Its position was strategic: the Sabato valley was a natural route between the Benevento area and the Salerno area. Between the end of the 2nd century BC and the age of Sulla, the Romans founded a colony here, which grew into a wealthy, well-organised town.
The city went into decline in late antiquity: a powerful earthquake in AD 346 made life difficult, and it was finally abandoned during the Gothic War and with the arrival of the Lombards. The inhabitants moved elsewhere, and the name of the ancient city lived on in that of the new Avellino.
What you can see in the archaeological area
The archaeological park covers a large area enclosed by the Roman walls. Here are the main stops:
- The walls: long stretches in opus reticulatum, the technique using small blocks laid in a net-like pattern, and the remains of two large round towers, clearly visible at the northern entrance.
- The public area: on the eastern side, inside the walls, are the remains of the forum and of a bath building.
- The domus: to the north-east is a large atrium house of the Hellenistic-Pompeian type, covering about 2,500 square metres, attributed to a freedman of the family of Agrippa, Augustus's son-in-law. You can still make out the peristyle and some rooms, such as a cubiculum decorated with plant motifs on a Pompeian red background.
- The aqueduct: a stretch of the Roman Serino aqueduct, the great work that carried water all the way to the Naples area.
Some of the finds from the excavations, such as a marble altar dedicated to the emperor Tiberius, are now on display in Avellino's museums. The site is open-air and the visit is richer with a guide: check opening times and organised tours on the websites of the Ministry of Culture and the Comune.
The Dogana dei Grani
Back in the centre, Atripalda's main square is dominated by the Palazzo della Dogana dei Grani (the Grain Customs House). The name tells you its purpose: in Bourbon times this was where trade took place, above all in grain arriving from Apulia along the royal road linking the Tyrrhenian to the Adriatic, and where the weekly market and fairs were held. The building took on its present appearance in 1883 and in the 20th century served as a cinema, a warehouse and a school.
After restoration it became a cultural space with an archaeological section, displaying finds from the Capo La Torre necropolis and the Abellinum area: a fragment of Pompeian Fourth Style painting from the lararium of the domus, an antefix with a female head, and an oil lamp with Helios and Selene. Here you can also see the statues that once decorated the façade of the Dogana in Avellino, recovered after a fire. It is the ideal complement to a visit to the excavations.
The Specus Martyrum and the old town
A few steps away is the mother church dedicated to Sant'Ippolisto and San Sabino, the town's patron saint, of early Christian origin. Beneath the church lies the Specus Martyrum, a cave that was used as a catacomb and where the relics of San Sabino were moved in 1612. It is an intimate, atmospheric place that tells of the continuity between the ancient city and the Christian one.
On the hill above the town, a few stones remain of the castle built in the 11th century by the Lombard nobleman Truppoaldo, from whom the very name Atripalda is said to derive. Not far away stands the 16th-century Palazzo Caracciolo, a national monument linked to the family that ruled the fief for almost three centuries: it is not open to visitors today, but its façade recalls the era when Atripalda prospered from working silk, iron, copper and paper.
Getting there and when to go
Atripalda practically merges with Avellino: from the provincial capital you can get there in a few minutes by car or by local bus, and from the A16 motorway you exit at Avellino Est. The archaeological area is open-air with little shade: we recommend spring and autumn, or the early morning hours in summer. Check opening times and guided tours on the official websites before you set off.
Nearby
Round off your day in Avellino with the Lombard Castle and the other sights in the city centre. The surrounding hills are white wine country, the home of Fiano di Avellino DOCG. All our other ideas for the province are in Avellino and its surroundings.
