Pontelandolfo between History, Crafts and Nature

History and Architectural Heritage

All that remains of the medieval castle is the Torre Medievale. The tower is over 20 metres high, measures 14 metres in diameter at its base and has walls more than 4.5 metres thick at the foundation. The Chiesa del S.S. Salvatore was built before 1500 in the Romanesque style, completely destroyed by the 1688 earthquake and rebuilt ten years later in the Baroque style.

The Chiesa di San Rocco was dedicated in 1609 to Saint Roch of Montpellier. The 1688 earthquake damaged it; it was rebuilt and restored in 1785. The church contains 18th-century frescoes and a wooden statue of Saint Roch. Admission to the Chiesa di San Rocco is free.

The Tempio dell’Annunziata Antica was built around 1400 at one of Pontelandolfo’s former entrance gates. The burned remains of the victims of 14 August 1861 were initially buried there. The Monumento Vittime dell’eccidio del 1861, erected in 2011 and created by the sculptor Mario Ferrante, commemorates this tragedy.

Crafts, Folklore and Local Memories

The Fontana Battistero stands in the centre of the main square. Stonecutters from Pontelandolfo built it around 1800 from local stone. Local craft traditions included textile work, embroidery, and work in iron, wood and stone; the traditional woollen cloth known as “panno di lana” is also associated with Pontelandolfo. The folkloric group “Ri Ualanegli Gruppo Folk” was founded in 1928.

The Pontelandolfolk Festival is an established international folklore festival held annually in Pontelandolfo as part of the Settimana Eco-Folkloristica. The Monumento alle vittime di Bridgeport also commemorates a tragedy in which 28 workers lost their lives, including 8 emigrants from Pontelandolfo in the United States. The Ruzzola del Formaggio route runs from the fountain in Piazza Roma to the area beside the Chiesa di San Rocco and returns through the centre along a designated route.

Hilly Landscape and Nature

Pontelandolfo’s natural landscape includes olive groves and forests. The town lies between Monte Calvello and Sauco; the mountains separate the Tammaro Valley from the Lenta Valley. Paths lead through the mixed forests of the hilly landscape, with ash trees, maples and chestnuts.

The Alente is a tributary of the Calore and is known for the presence of the spectacled salamander. Opportunities to observe wildlife and birds include, among others, hares, foxes, martens, magpies, cuckoos, owls, eagle owls and blackbirds. Water Experience focuses on the springs and fountains in the municipal area west of Monte Calvello.

More Destinations

Cusano Mutri, San Nicola Manfredi, Campolattaro, Signorindico, Sant'angelo A Cupolo, Fontanavecchia, Circello, Buonalbergo

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