Montella
Montella is an Italian town and comune (municipality) in the province of Avellino, Campania, with a population of 7,699. The zone was inhabited already in the neolithic period. The town was founded by the Samnites in the 1st millennium BC, to become a municipality of the Roman Empire and a town under the Lombards.
Montella | |
|---|---|
| Comune di Montella | |
 | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Montella | |
  Montella Location of Montella in Italy  Montella Montella (Campania) | |
| Coordinates: 40°51′N 15°1′E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Campania |
| Province | Avellino (AV) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Rizieri Buonopane |
| Area | |
| • Total | 83.32 km2 (32.17 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 546 m (1,791 ft) |
| Population (30 November 2017)[2] | |
| • Total | 7,699 |
| • Density | 92/km2 (240/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Montellese |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 83048 |
| Dialing code | 0827 |
| Patron saint | St. Roch |
| Saint day | 16 August |
| Website | Official website |
Culture
Montella is a production center of chestnuts, and the comune organizes the Sagra Castagna di Montella (Montella Chestnut Festival) each fall.[3] An eco-museum dedicated to the chestnut, the Museo della Castagna Montella, opened in 2014.[4]
Part of the comune of Montella is also encompassed by Monti Picentini Regional Park, a mountainous natural preserve in Campania which is host to many types of mushrooms as well as cave systems.
The Convent of Saint Francis at Folloni is nearby. According to tradition, it was founded by Saint Francis of Assisi in AD 1221-1222 when he was turned away from the town due to fears of leprosy. The saint and his fellow travelers slept under a tree and were miraculously protected from the snow. After this event, they founded the friary and it remains there today.
Twin towns
Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA[5]
People
- Giovanni Palatucci, a Righteous Among the Nations
- Salvatore Pelosi, Italian naval officer
- Aurelio Fierro, Italian singer
- Geno Auriemma, American basketball coach
- Leonarda Cianciulli, serial killer
The grandparents of American actress Maria Bello came from Montella.
References
- "Montella". Comuni Italiani (in Italian).
- "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- "Pro Loco Montella". Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- "Montella nasce il primo Eco-Museo della castagna". Museo della Castagna Montella. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- Puleo, Gary (11 August 2015). "Holy Saviour Feast in Norristown celebrates Italian heritage". Montgomery Media. Montgomery, Pennsylvania. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
External links
- Official website (in Italian)
