Leonessa
Discovering Leonessa: history and curiosities about the hamlet of Melfi
Leonessa is a beautiful hamlet of Melfi, located a few kilometers from the Ofanto River and 9.93 km away from the center of its municipality. With its 298 inhabitants, the village sits at 252 meters above sea level and is connected to the Piana di San Nicola, home to the FIAT factory, by a railway and a road network.
History
Leonessa has a long and complex history, as evidenced by numerous necropolises and artifacts dating back centuries. It has served as a natural crossroads between different geographical areas since ancient times. Today, the Church of the Assunta has become the point of reference for the local community.
Before becoming a hamlet of Melfi (which occurred in 1961), Leonessa was a business center founded in 1952 following the agrarian reform of the lower Melfi area. The basic structure of the center consisted of a quadrangular building with a large inner courtyard, a grocery store, and four houses. The building was part of the feudo granted in 1416 by the Queen of the Kingdom of Naples, Giovanna II of Naples, to Count Sergianni Caracciolo and later became a "defense" of the Melfi countryside, exclusively owned by the count, where only two or three families engaged in cultivating the land and caring for the livestock lived.
In a document from 1440, instead, we find King Alfonso V of Aragon granting a territory in the municipality of Melfi to Troiano Caracciolo along with a farm called Lagonessa, which had belonged to his ancestors. In 1528, Leonessa became the headquarters of the French High Command and the residence of Odet de Foix during the siege of Melfi. Following the battle's outcome, in 1531, King Charles VIII of France awarded the city and much of its territory, including Leonessa, to Andrea Doria.
Infrastructure and transportation
Roads
After the construction of the Aglianico superhighway, the Foggia-Potenza, Leonessa has been cut off from major transportation links. However, the village is a short distance from the motorway junction in Candela (Italy), while the Piana di San Nicola can be reached in a few kilometers.
Railways
Leonessa has a "bronze-level" railway station and is served by a line that connects the city of Potenza (Italy) to Foggia passing through Melfi.
Monuments and places of interest
Leonessa offers several tourist attractions, starting from the beautiful Church of San Nicola, a place of worship that represents the community's main source of faith and devotion. The church dates back to the eighteenth century and stands out for its baroque-style bell tower.
For those who love history and architecture, Leonessa offers the opportunity to visit the fortified farmhouse, which was part of the structure of the farm that was granted in fief to Count Sergianni Caracciolo in 1416. As we have seen, it later became a "defense" of the Melfi countryside, exclusively owned by the count.
Sports facilities
There are also services for leisure and sports. In the hamlet of Leonessa, there is a dirt football field where the third team of Melfi, Sport Melfi 1983, trains and plays its home matches in the Prima Categoria.
Conclusions
Leonessa is an island of serenity and peace that preserves the charm of tradition and history. The architectural beauties and tourist attractions blend perfectly with modern life, and that is precisely what makes this beautiful hamlet of Melfi unique. We hope we have helped you discover more about this wonderful part of Italy.
