Ariano Irpino
Part of The Encyclopedia of Southern Italy.
Ariano Irpino (formerly Ariano di Puglia)(AV): A commune (Area: 185.52 km²; alt. 778 m) in the province of Avellino, in Campania. Located about 50 km NE of Avellino and 24 miles E of Benevento, it is situated on a rocky height in the Apennines, near the headwaters of the torrent Ufita. Population: 23,218 (2007e); 23,297 (2006e); 23,505 (2001); 23,040 (1991); 17,708 (1911).
History: Archaeological evidence shows that the area around Ariano has been inhabited since Neolithic times. Because of its location, commanding the easiest pass through the Apennines connecting Apulia with Campania, it has been a place of both economic and strategic importance. The earliest known settlement, which surviving from Neolithic times until c900 BC, was located on the collina della Starza. The ancient Samnites settled in the area, founding the town of Aequum Tuticum about 8 km from where the present center now sits. Eventually Romanized, Aequum flourished thanks to its location along the Appian Way. Unfortunately, the same factors that brought such prosperity to place during the centuries of Roman peace, threatened it with repeated attacks once the Western Empire collapsed.
In the 7th Century, the town came under the control of the bishops of Benevento. It was the seat of a Lombard count in the 10th Century. A bishop’s see was established there in AD 969. In 1024, it was taken by the Byzantines who held it until its capture by the Normans in 1140. The Normans brought a new period of security and prosperity to the town. Arpino became the principal center for a large area between the Sannio and the Irpinia. Roger II renovated the castle and made it the site of his first Parliament. During the succeeding Swabian dynasty, Ariano fell into a serious decline and the Angevin king, Charles I of Anjou, founded a new town nearby to replace it.
Charles I gave the new town to Henry di Vandemont during the latter part of the 13th Century. It passed to Ermengaud di Sabran whose descendants continued to hold it until 1413. In
Economy: The commune is a center for mining and quarrying: sulfur, marble and gypsum. Manufactured products include cement, pottery, textiles and macaroni. Among the agricultural products are cereals, wines, liqueur (especially rosoglio), olive oil, legumes, and hemp.