Montella: Culture, Chestnuts and Landscapes

Montella combines historic sites, chestnut culture and landscapes. This gives you a destination where cultural sightseeing, regional cuisine and outdoor activities come together at your own pace. Its thematic range extends from medieval architecture and monastic history to a regional specialty and traces of traditional land use.

Castles, Monasteries and Museums

The Complesso Monumentale del Monte comprises a medieval castle, the Church of Santa Maria del Monte, a former Franciscan monastery and an archaeological garden. Castello del Monte was built by the Lombards towards the end of the 9th century.

The Complesso Conventuale San Francesco a Folloni is recognized as a national monument and today comprises a church, a monastery, a cloister, a museum and a library. The first chapel was dedicated to the Santissima Annunziata. The refectory between the 13th-century church and the 15th-century church at the Convento di San Francesco a Folloni now serves as the monastery's library.

The area of the Alta Valle del Calore is particularly strongly represented at the Museo di San Francesco a Folloni. The Santuario del Santissimo Salvatore is located at an altitude of 954 metres and has been a pilgrimage destination for generations. Traditional practices at the Santuario include drinking from the Pozzo del Miracolo and ringing the large bell.

The MUCAM Eco-Museo della Castagna di Montella is divided into six sections. These include multimedia content presented in an educational and multisensory tour.

Chestnuts and Festival Culture

Castagna di Montella IGP consists of 90 percent Palummina and 10 percent Verdole varieties. It is used fresh, including frozen, as well as dried in the shell or peeled.

The Festa della Castagna takes place every year between the end of October and the beginning of November. It is celebrated in the heart of Montella in honour of the IGP chestnut.

Nature and Historic Water Use

Montella is located in the Parco dei Monti Picentini. The Calore River flows through Montella, and the municipal area includes trekking trails. Since the 15th century, the waterfalls of Montella served mainly to power an old mill. Today, only a few ruins of the mill remain; it was in operation until the 1950s.

Highlights for Your Trip

When choosing your accommodation in Montella, you can orient yourself around the different highlights: historic architecture and monastic culture, chestnuts, nature and trekking trails, or the multisensory museum tour. If you plan your trip between the end of October and the beginning of November, the Festa della Castagna is also part of the seasonal schedule. You decide which balance best suits your personal pace of travel.

More destinations for planning your trip to Italy: Flumeri, Beatrice, Torre Le Nocelle, Gesualdo, Misciano, Avellino, San Sossio Baronia, Quadrelle

Return to the higher-level travel overview: Avellino.