Pontelandolfo

Pontelandolfo
Comune
Comune di Pontelandolfo

Pontelandolfo in a lithograph, 1850

Coat of arms

Pontelandolfo within the Province of Benevento
Pontelandolfo

Location of Pontelandolfo in Italy

Coordinates: 41°17′N 14°41′E / 41.283°N 14.683°E / 41.283; 14.683Coordinates: 41°17′N 14°41′E / 41.283°N 14.683°E / 41.283; 14.683
Country Italy
Region Campania
Province / Metropolitan city Benevento (BN)
Frazioni Acqua del Campo, Carluni, Ciccotto, Giallonardo, Grotte, Guitto, Lena, Malepara, Marziello, Pianelle, Pontelandolfo Scalo, Pontenuovo, Santa Caterina, Santillo, Sorgenza
Government
  Mayor Cosimo Testa
Area
  Total 28 km2 (11 sq mi)
Elevation 510 m (1,670 ft)
Population (2005)
  Total 2,457
  Density 88/km2 (230/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Pontelandolfesi
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 82027
Dialing code 0824
Patron saint St. Anthony of Padua
Saint day June 13
Website Official website

Pontelandolfo is an Italian town and comune of 28.91 square kilometres (11.16 sq mi), in the Sannio Hills in the province of Benevento halfway between Naples and Campobasso, with around 3,000 inhabitants.

History

The area of today's Pontelandolfo was settled since very ancient times. The name of the village comes from the legendary Pontis Landulphi, or the Bridge of Landolpho, who died defending the bridge against the Romans while the villagers fled to safety, an event memorialized in the village's crest. The bridge is believed to have spanned the Lenta River.[1]

Pontelandolfo is mostly remembered as the location, along with Casalduni, of a massacre of largely innocent population by the Piedmontese occupation troops in 1861.

Many villagers emigrated to the United States, with a large community settling in and around Waterbury, Connecticut, where they founded the Pontelandolfo Community Club. A large number also moved to Canada, specifically to the city of Montreal.

Geography

Pontelandolfo is located on a mountainous area of Italy. The area that surrounds Pontelandolfo has a wide range of altitudes (400-1,017 meters), with the center of population situated at 525 meters.

There are three prominent mountains that surround Pontelandolfo. These include Mount Calvello, which has an altitude of 1,017 meters, Toppo Mangialardo (917 m) and Mount Forgioso (850 m).

Main sights

Economy

Much of the surrounding area of Pontelandolfo (14.91 km²) is used for agriculture thanks to the fertility of the ground, which was already well known by the ancient Greeks. The primary use of the land is for olive-tree orchards, pastures and for the culture of cereals.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Pontelandolfo is twinned with:

References

  1. (Italian) A. Iamalio, P. Federico, G. Ardia: La Regina del Sannio. Naples, 1918, pg. 226.

Media related to Pontelandolfo at Wikimedia Commons

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