Fontanarosa
Welcome to Fontanarosa: Description of the Italian town
Hello everyone! Today I want to talk to you about Fontanarosa, an Italian town located in Campania, in the province of Avellino. The town has about 2855 inhabitants and is located in a hilly area of Irpinia, at the foot of Mount Capo di Gaudio. The municipal territory of Fontanarosa is quite vast, covering about 23 square kilometers, with a flat part along the valley of the Fredane river and a high and rather rugged part. Here you can find chestnut groves, walnut trees, hazelnut trees, and oak forests. In the flat part, on the other hand, the crops that characterize it are those of vineyards, olive groves, and wheat.
Seismicity of Fontanarosa
Unfortunately, the territory of Fontanarosa is part of the seismic district of Irpinia, an area with high seismicity. In 1980, following the Irpinia earthquake, the town suffered considerable damage with 4 deaths, 352 homeless and 795 damaged housing units. However, the town has recovered over time and continued to grow.
Origin of the name
Let's talk about the origin of the name Fontanarosa. There are several conflicting theories that try to explain the etymology of the name. Some historians deny the Lombard origin of Fontanarosa, while others state that the town has taken its name from a source of rosaceous water, hence the name Fontana rosa. There is also a third theory that traces the name of the town back to the Latin word "fontanarosarum", which means a place rich in springs. In short, as often happens in these cases, there is no real certainty about the origin of the name.
History of Fontanarosa
Finally, let's try to understand the origins of the town of Fontanarosa. It comes from Aeclanum, a city located on the Via Appia, which connected Rome to Brindisi. Founded by the Osci, Aeclanum was first a "free city", then, thanks to the Samnite wars, it obtained the right to Roman citizenship. Finally, under the emperor Hadrian, it even became a military colony of Rome. After a long period of prosperity, Aeclanum was destroyed by the Greek emperor Constantine II in 662, before waging war with Romuald, the Lombard duke of Benevento. However, thanks to the presence of water sources, the area has always been populated and the town of Fontanarosa was founded at a later time.
In summary, Fontanarosa is a town that has overcome the obstacles of history, such as the earthquake of 1980, and continues to grow and live thanks to its close-knit community, the fertility of the land, and its natural beauty. I hope you enjoyed my description of the town and I invite you to visit it to discover it personally!
