Pontelandolfo
Pontelandolfo (BN)
Hidden gemVillages
The story
Above the Tammaro valley, Pontelandolfo still carries the memory of 1861, when the town was set ablaze; today the medieval tower watches over rebuilt alleys and a wound not forgotten.
Access
Route through the village, free
The story
Pontelandolfo stands between the mountains Calvello and Sauco, between the valley of the Tammaro and that of the Lenta, in the Sannio. It arose around 980 with the name Pons Landulphi, from the Lombard prince Landolfo who is said to have built a bridge there to reach his castle; in the Middle Ages it also received Sienese exiles. The name of the town is however tied to a painful and debated episode: in August 1861, in the context of the post-Unification repression of brigandage, Pontelandolfo was the scene of a reprisal by the army and set on fire. The number of victims varies significantly between the sources and the episode is still at the centre of a heated historiographical debate. The town keeps its memory: since 2011, the hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary, it has been recognised among the «Places of Memory» of the unity of Italy, and every 14 August a sober ceremony remembers the victims in the church of the Annunziata, where they rest.
What to see
The village, rebuilt after the events of 1861 and the earthquakes of the centuries, keeps the layout of the villages of the mountain Sannio, between the mountains Calvello and Sauco. The heart of the memory is the church of the Annunziata, where the victims of 1861 rest and where since 2011 stands a monument to the fallen of that August: the memory of those days is part of the town's identity.
How to get there
- Car needed
Public transport. Il trasporto pubblico in quest'area interna è limitato: i collegamenti in autobus sono radi e non sempre giornalieri. In pratica il luogo è difficilmente raggiungibile senza un mezzo proprio; per eventuali autolinee e per la stazione ferroviaria utile più vicina, verifica su Unico Campania e sui canali ufficiali degli operatori regionali (AIR Campania). · fonte: Fallback onesto — area interna, routing transit non disponibile
Hours and prices
Free entry.
Tips
Pontelandolfo is reached by car, in the northern Sannio. It is a place where historical memory counts: visit it with respect for a community that carries an old wound. To be combined with Morcone and the villages of the Tammaro.
Frequently asked questions
What happened at Pontelandolfo in 1861?
In August 1861, during the post-Unification repression of brigandage, the town was the scene of a reprisal by the army and set on fire. The number of victims varies between the sources and the episode is the subject of historiographical debate. Every 14 August the town keeps its memory.
Where does the name Pontelandolfo come from?
From Pons Landulphi: from the Lombard prince Landolfo who, around 980, is said to have built a bridge there to reach his castle.
Where is Pontelandolfo?
In the northern Sannio, in the province of Benevento, between the mountains Calvello and Sauco.
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