Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi


Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi is a town and comune in the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy.

Geography

Sitting on a hilltop near the Fredano river, the town is home to a cathedral and a Lombard castle. It is bordered by Guardia Lombardi, Lioni, Morra De Sanctis, Nusco, Rocca San Felice, Torella dei Lombardi and Villamaina.
Nearby is the Benedictine Abbey of San Guglielmo al Goleto.

History

The name "Sant'Angelo" derives from the town's patron saint Michael the Archangel. Lombardi is derived from the migrant workers of Lombardy who settled there around 1000 AD. The cathedral was originally built in the 11th century and was rebuilt in the 16th century. Also near the Piazza of Andrea is the castle of the Lombards, built around the first half of the 10th century. Initially, it was a jail/prison/fort and was later modified to serve as a castle. There is a small pathway that was constructed under the castle and from there it leads to the main town square where there was an underground prison.

Earthquake and reconstruction

The town was virtually destroyed by the magnitude 6.9 Irpina earthquake of 23 November 1980.