Montecalvo Irpino
Welcome to Montecalvo Irpino, the city of bread!
Hello everyone! Welcome to Montecalvo Irpino, a town in the province of Avellino in Campania, Italy. We are here to tell you a bit of history and trivia about this magnificent city, famous in particular for its typical bread.
Physical geography
Montecalvo Irpino is located in the northern part of the province of Avellino, bordering the province of Benevento. The municipal agricultural land extends over an area of 53.50 km², with an altitude that varies from 151 to 700 m above sea level. The area is predominantly mountainous, with clay and tuff soil. Here it is possible to find the Bolle della Malvizza, mud volcanoes that appear in the valley of the Miscano stream. The climate is temperate, thanks to the medium-hillside location, with moderate rainfall.
Origins of the name
Have you ever wondered where the name Montecalvo Irpino comes from? According to some scholars, the first part of the name derives from the Latin "mons calvus", meaning "rocky mountain, devoid of trees". According to others, it instead derives from the term "mons galbus", meaning "yellow mountain", due to the color of the tuff or the broom flowers present in the area. Others still derive the term "calvo" from the Roman gens Calvia, which would have had some possessions in the area. The adjective "Irpino" identifies the historical-geographical district of belonging, Irpinia, and was added to distinguish the municipality from the many other homonyms.
History
There are many interesting things to know about the history of Montecalvo Irpino. The area was already frequented since Roman times, as evidenced by the remains of a rustic villa in the Tressanti locality and archaeological finds from necropolises and other areas of the territory. The first historical news of Montecalvo dates back to 1096 when about sixty armed men from that area participated in the expedition to the Holy Land wanted by William the Good. In 1137, King Roger II camped at the foot of the castle of Montecalvo during his war with the Count of Avellino. In the Catalogus Baronum it is read that the first feudal family was that of Potofranco, but after the destruction caused by Manfredi di Svevia's troops, the fiefdom was first granted to the noble Matteo Diletto in 1276 and then given by King Charles I of Anjou to the Salerno-born Giovanni Mansella. From the end of the 1300s, Montecalvo followed the events of the county of Ariano, to which it remained attached during the governments of the de Sabran, Sforza, and Guevara families. In 1456, a violent earthquake caused the collapse of part of the inhabited center, and the city expanded outside the walls, which were no longer rebuilt.
The bread of Montecalvo Irpino
And now we come to the tastiest and most famous part of Montecalvo Irpino: bread! Thanks to its typical bread, the town is part of the National Association of Bread Cities. Montecalvo bread is made with soft wheat flour or stone-ground and cooked in wood-fired ovens. Its flavor is unique and unmistakable, thanks also to the presence of sourdough. We recommend trying it with typical local products such as cheeses and cold cuts for an unforgettable culinary experience.
Conclusions
And with this, we have reached the end of our virtual tour of Montecalvo Irpino. I hope I have made you discover something interesting about the history and culture of this magnificent city and maybe made your mouth water with the story of its typical bread. If you have the chance, come and visit us and discover for yourself all the wonders of Montecalvo Irpino.
