Lapio
Lapio: a small town in Campania
Hello everyone! Today I want to talk to you about a small town in Campania called Lapio, located in the province of Avellino. This village, with only 1422 inhabitants, is situated in the valley of the Calore irpino river, in a sunny position near Mount Tuoro. But let's see together something more about the origins of its name and its history.
Origins of the name
The name Lapio could derive from the Latin "Lapideum," which means rocky or stony. Other studies argue that the name derives from the Fiano produced in this area, particularly in the agricultural area "Apia," which is now Lapio. From here comes the term "Apiano" and "Apiana," the grape already known by the Latin poets.
History
Lapio is an ancient village, first owned by the Lombards and then becoming a fiefdom of the Filangieri of Naples. The baronial palace of the Filangieri, which can be visited, dates back to the period between the 1200s and 1300s. Unfortunately, the village suffered some damage during the 1980 Irpinia earthquake.
Symbols
The coat of arms of the municipality and the banner were granted by a decree of the President of the Republic in 2002. The banner is a yellow flag with a green border.
Monuments and places of interest
The village of Lapio is really interesting to visit, as it preserves many historical and artistic monuments. For example, you can see the castle and the baronial palace of the Filangieri, which has valuable frescoes. In addition, several churches are located in the village, such as the mother church of Caterina d'Alessandria, where you can find the tomb of Cardinal Giuseppe Caprio, the church of San Giuseppe, and that of Maria Santissima del Monte Carmelo. In these last two churches, Neapolitan eighteenth-century shepherds are kept, while in the church of Caterina d'Alessandria, you can admire the precious statuary groups of the "Mysteries" during the procession on Good Friday. In addition to these churches, there is also that of Loreto, dedicated to Saint Anthony, and that of Madonna della Neve, among the oldest in Lapio. The municipality has four confraternities that play a decisive role in local ecclesiastical life. There are also some ruins of an old abandoned monastic convent, which has a long history accompanied by several legends.
The Prince's Bridge
The Prince's Bridge is one of the longest bridges in the section that connects Avellino to Rocchetta Sant'Antonio, located between the Lapio stop and the Taurasi station. The bridge is suspended on the banks of the Calore river and was built in 1893 on the occasion of the construction of the line of the Italian Industrial Company Metal Constructions.
If you want to visit a village with a rich cultural and historical heritage, it will certainly be a pleasure to visit Lapio!
