Montesano sulla Marcellana
Welcome to Montesano sulla Marcellana
Hello everyone! Today I'm going to talk about Montesano sulla Marcellana, an Italian municipality of about 6,432 inhabitants located in the province of Salerno in the gorgeous region of Campania.
Physical Geography
Montesano sulla Marcellana is the most eastern municipality in the entire Campania region and is situated on a mountain in the Maddalena chain of the Lucanian Apennines, at an altitude of approximately 850 meters above sea level. The terrain is mountainous with plains such as those of Magorno, Tardiano, and Spigno. The woodland area of the region is among the most extensive in Vallo di Diano, with an area of over 4,000 hectares. Montesano's cultural and historic center is the capital, whose landmark is the church of Sant'Anna, an imposing neo-gothic building constructed in the 1950s by Filippo Gagliardi (an entrepreneur). The commercially active center is located in the fraction of Scalo.
Climate
The climate in Montesano is typical of southern Italy: temperate warm with short winters and very low temperatures in the mountain areas, while summers are hot and sultry.
Origin of the Name
Legend has it that the inhabitants of Marcellinum, the village located downstream of today's Montesano, moved to the hill to escape the unhealthy air of marshy areas and subsequent plague epidemics. Around the year one thousand, the new village was founded, which, due to the salubrity of the air and its numerous springs, was called Montesano. The toponym "sulla Marcellana" owes its name to the place of origin Marcellinum and from the Marcellana road that crossed it.
History
From 1811 to 1860, Montesano sulla Marcellana was the capital of the homonymous administrative subdivision of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ## Circondari belonging to the district of Sala of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Later, from 1860 to 1927, during the Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946), it was the capital of the homonymous district (law) belonging to the district of Sala Consilina.
Monuments and Places of Interest
The city is full of beautiful monuments and places of interest. Among the religious architectures, there are the abbey of Santa Maria di Cadossa, the ecclesiastical complex that dates back to the year 1000 and is linked to the veneration of San Cono di Riano, also known as San Cono da Teggiano, the Basilian Grancia of San Pietro dating back to the 11th century, the church and convent of the Capuchins dating back to the 15th century, the chapel of Sant'Antonio Abate dating back to the 13th century, the church of Sant'Andrea, built in 1300 and then rebuilt after the earthquake of 1857 and completed in 1931, the church of the Assumption also known as the "New Church," built between 1718 and 1731 at the behest of the brothers Pietro and Antonio Gerbasio, local barons, the chapel of San Vito Martire, the chapel of Santa Maria delle Grazie, and finally the church of Sant'Anna, one of the most famous in the municipality, built between 1954 and 1959 at the request of Filippo Gagliardi (an entrepreneur).
In conclusion, Montesano sulla Marcellana is an Italian municipality worth visiting, especially if you are passionate about history and architecture. We hope we have piqued your interest enough to visit this beautiful town. Thank you for reading!
