Grottolella
Welcome to Grottolella, a small Italian commune
Hello everyone! Today we will talk about Grottolella, a beautiful Italian commune located in the Avellino province, in Campania. With a population of only 1786 inhabitants, Grottolella is a quiet and relaxing place where you can enjoy breathtaking views and discover the history of the region. Start your adventure with us!
History of Grottolella
The history of Grottolella is ancient and interesting. The name "Grotta" first appears in the "Cronica" of Falcone Beneventano, dated 1134. It is said that Ruggero II of Sicily conquered the castles of Altacoda, Grotta, Summonte and others, which belonged to Raone di Fragneto. However, Grottolella is even older than believed. Evidence has been found of a rustic villa and some sepulchres dating back to the late imperial age, between the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. These findings are located in the Barbelle area.
Over the centuries, the name "Grotta" underwent several variations over time. Starting from the 12th century, it was called "Grotta Castagnara" or "Crypta Castagnaria", a name that remained until 1646, when the feudatory Scipione Macedonio became the Duke of Grotta Castagnara by concession of Philip IV of Spain.
Although there is no certain information on the history of Grottolella in the medieval period, it can be assumed that a fortified village already existed from the 12th century. This village probably represented the oldest nucleus around which the still existing castle stood. However, this settlement did not have a significant increase.
According to the Scandone, the Grotta fiefdom was divided into two parts since the time of Longobard rule. Probably, Ruggiero II granted one part of the fiefdom to Torgisio and the other to Ugone. Later, Ruggero di Fragneto (heir of Ugone) favored the birth of the barony of Sant'Angelo, which included Capriglia, Sant'Angelo a Scala and part of Grottolella - a union that lasted until the end of the 12th century.
Feudal Lords of Grottolella
The other part of the Grotta fiefdom followed the fortunes of the nearby Montefredane, at least until the 14th century. Around 1173, the fiefdom passed to the Sanseverino family, one branch of which would later be called "de Crypta". Frederick II entrusted Guerriero, descendant of the Sanseverino family, with the war prisoner Gerardo Pelluce in 1239.
The heir of Guerriero de Crypta was his daughter Fenizia, wife of Judge Giacomo of Avellino, to whom the fiefdom was confiscated by Charles I of Anjou because he had sided with Conradin of Swabia. The fiefdom was later restored to Mattia, Fenizia's cousin for a third, while another third was given to a man named Leonardo "Trink-à-la boire", who soon renounced it. At the death of Mattia, his two daughters Isabella and Giordana became heirs of the fiefdom. Part of the fiefdom passed to the Mont-Justin family until 1355, as Isabella married Jacques de Mont-Justìn, lord of Montefredane, while the other daughter Giordana married Ruggiero de Molinis, who was invited to perform military service for his part of Capriglia, Sant'Angelo a Scala and Grottolella in 1369.
The d'Aquino family held the fiefdom until 1466.
Conclusions
And so we have concluded our journey to discover the history of Grottolella. We hope this article has provided you with more information about the commune and its long history. If you have the opportunity, we recommend you to visit Grottolella and discover the beauty of the region in person. Thank you for reading!
