Luogo - Archaeological Area
Area Archeologica della Valle d'Ansanto (Mefite)
Where
Mefite, Rocca San Felice (Avellino)
Mefite is a sulfur lake located between the villages of Villamaina, Torella dei Lombardi and Rocca San Felice. This denomination originates from the Hirpini population, who, near the lake, asked the goddess Mefite for wealth and protection. It was also dedicated to a sanctuary, erected around the 7th century BC, of which remains and finds were found (amphorae, crockery and the altar of the goddess Meteorite, kept in Capodimonte Museum). The lake, on the other hand, is made up of a shallow water puddle resulting from underground gas emissions, which is why the surrounding territory is virtually free from vegetation and animal populations, with the exception of a small rarely woody plant, Anxious Genist.
