Summonte

Summonte (AV)

Hidden gemVillages

Summonte, Summonte (AV)
T4bacc0 at Italian Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The story

The borgo (old village) gathers around the Angevin tower, a stone cylinder sixteen metres high from which, among the clouds, the gaze runs over all of Irpinia.

Access

FREE

The story

Lying on the eastern slopes of the Partenio, at over 700 metres, Summonte has very ancient origins: the name comes from the Latin sub monte, 'beneath the mountain', and the ruins of its castle are more than a thousand years old. The first document that cites it is of 769. A curiosity: a contract of 1037 drawn up in the area, on the cultivation of the mulberry for silkworm rearing, is considered the oldest document on sericulture in Italy.

What to see

The mark of Summonte is its medieval tower, what remains of the ancient castle guarding the Partenio, with the village gathered at its foot. Around it, the woods and trails of the massif, and the closeness to the sanctuary of Montevergine.

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

An excellent base for the Partenio: from here walks in the woods set off and the sanctuary of Montevergine is easily reached. Cool in summer because of the altitude. The car is handy; the centre is explored on foot. To be combined with Ospedaletto d'Alpinolo and Mercogliano.

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Summonte mean?

It comes from the Latin sub monte, 'beneath the mountain': the village stands on the eastern slopes of the Partenio.

What is there to see at Summonte?

The medieval tower, remains of the ancient castle that watched over the Partenio, and the village gathered at its foot.

Since when is Summonte documented?

The first document that cites it is of 769; a contract of 1037 on sericulture in the area is among the oldest in Italy.

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