Montella is an Italian town and comune (municipality) in the province of Avellino, Campania, with a population of 7,699. The zone was inhabited already in the neolithic period.[citation needed] The town was founded by the Samnites in the 1st millennium BC,[citation needed] to become a municipality of the Roman Empire[citation needed] and a town under the Lombards.

Montella
Comune di Montella
Coat of arms of Montella
Location of Montella
Map
Montella is located in Italy
Montella
Montella
Location of Montella in Italy
Montella is located in Campania
Montella
Montella
Montella (Campania)
Coordinates: 40°51′N 15°1′E / 40.850°N 15.017°E / 40.850; 15.017
CountryItaly
RegionCampania
ProvinceAvellino (AV)
Government
 • MayorRizieri Buonopane
Area
 • Total83.32 km2 (32.17 sq mi)
Elevation
546 m (1,791 ft)
Population
 (30 November 2017)[2]
 • Total7,699
 • Density92/km2 (240/sq mi)
DemonymMontellese
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
83048
Dialing code0827
Patron saintSt. Roch
Saint day16 August
WebsiteOfficial website

Culture

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Montella with snow.

Montella is a production center of chestnuts, and the comune organizes the Sagra Castagna di Montella (Montella Chestnut Festival) each fall.[3] An eco-museum dedicated to the chestnut, the Museo della Castagna Montella, opened in 2014.[4]

Part of the comune of Montella is also encompassed by Monti Picentini Regional Park, a mountainous natural preserve in Campania which is host to many types of mushrooms as well as cave systems.

The Convent of Saint Francis at Folloni is nearby. According to tradition, it was founded by Saint Francis of Assisi in AD 1221-1222 when he was turned away from the town due to fears of leprosy. The saint and his fellow travelers slept under a tree and were miraculously protected from the snow. After this event, they founded the friary and it remains there today.

Twin towns

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People

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The grandparents of American actress Maria Bello came from Montella.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Montella". Comuni Italiani (in Italian).
  2. ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Pro Loco Montella". Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  4. ^ "Montella nasce il primo Eco-Museo della castagna". Museo della Castagna Montella. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  5. ^ Puleo, Gary (11 August 2015). "Holy Saviour Feast in Norristown celebrates Italian heritage". Montgomery Media. Montgomery, Pennsylvania. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
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