Cusano Mutri
The history of Cusano Mutri
Cusano Mutri is a commune of approximately 3748 inhabitants in the province of Benevento, Campania, located on the southern slope of the Matese, on the border between Campania and Molise. The territory covers approximately 60km², with altitudes ranging from a minimum of 257 m at the Titerno Gorge to a maximum of 1823 m at Monte Mutria.
According to historians, Cusano Mutri was the Samnite city of ''Cossa'', destroyed by the Romans along with Telesia. The name, which means "cup", refers to the topographic configuration of the region, from which the primitive ideographic symbol "Q" derived, representing the circle of mountains with the Titerno Gorge, the only outlet.
Certain information only appeared in 490 AD, when Pope Felice III sent a priest to officiate in the chapel of the castle. In the early eighth century, some Benedictine monks from Voltumo settled in the church of Santa Maria del Castagneto, while more than a dozen inhabited nuclei with religious buildings arose in the countryside. The area, safe because easily defensible, represented a refuge for the neighboring populations distressed by Saracen raids.
The Norman conquest
The turning point came with the Norman conquest of southern Italy, which began a phase of urbanization culminating in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The village expanded, as it still preserves, having escaped the devastating 1688 Sannio earthquake that destroyed almost all the surrounding villages.
Granted to the Sanframondo family as a fiefdom, which held it until the mid-fifteenth century, Cusano subsequently passed through the hands of many feudal lords (De Vera, De Clavellis, Gaetano, Colonna, Carafa, del Tufo, Origlia, Monsolino, Barrionovo, Leone), demonstrating the libertarian spirit of the population that, under the Barrionovo (1605-1710), reached a good level of prosperity.
The local economy was based mainly on pastoralism and the wool industry. The decline began in the second half of the eighteenth century, when the privatization of the Royal Customs of the Foggia Sheep Drive put the transhumance system in crisis. Despite this, Cusano did not experience a rapid decline, but the decline was unstoppable.
The economic activities related to pastoralism lasted throughout the nineteenth century and the demographic trend did not experience vertical decreases. The migratory phenomenon that began after the Unification of Italy is still present.
Monuments and places of interest
Cusano Mutri preserves several religious architectures of remarkable historical and artistic value, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, the oldest church in the village. It stands on the plain near the location of the castle and of which some ruins can be seen in the highest area of the city, Terra Alta.
The Church of the Immaculate Conception, dating back to the second half of the 17th century, is one of the most representative churches of the Benevento Baroque. It has a quadrilateral stone portal and three semicircular portals in majolica.
Demographic evolution
In recent decades, Cusano Mutri has experienced rural exodus that led to a reduction in population. In 1991, the commune had approximately 4536 inhabitants, in 2016 the number had dropped to 3748.
Conclusions
Cusano Mutri, a commune of approximately 3748 inhabitants in the province of Benevento, Campania, has an ancient and rich history, linked to the Norman conquest of southern Italy and its strategic position on the southern slope of the Matese. Today, the commune focuses more on the valorization of its artistic and cultural heritage, while at the same time trying to cope with the demographic and economic crisis that affects it. If you visit Cusano Mutri, do not miss the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and the Church of the Immaculate Conception, two of its most representative monuments.
