Pontelandolfo

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. 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. 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 Medieval tower (12th century) Church of Annunziata Antica (15th century) Chapel of San Rocco (17th-18th centuries) 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: Waterbury, USA Lisbon, Portugal References External links Media related to Pontelandolfo at Wikimedia Commons Official website Pontelandolfo News