ITINERARIES IN THE VALLEYS OF GOOD LIVINGGesualdo
Gesualdo is a village in the province of Avellino (Campania) that stands on a gentle hill in the southern Apennines, halfway between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Adriatic Sea. In this "middle ground," with a population of approximately 3,500, the madrigalist composer Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613), Prince of Venosa and nephew of San Carlo Borromeo, lived within the walls of the mighty Castle, an ancient defensive fortress that dominates the rocky spur of the old town (and whose origins date back to the Lombard era). Although there are traces of ancient settlements dating back to before the birth of Christ, it was during the Lombard period and especially the Norman period that Gesualdo began to develop as an urban center, precisely around the aforementioned fortress. Over the centuries, the fortress was transformed from a defensive structure to a residential one, until it became the majestic and imposing Castle that characterizes the current landscape. At the behest of Prince Carlo Gesualdo, the castle was transformed from a military fortress into a residence, home to a veritable "musical circle" toward the end of the 16th century, welcoming scholars and poets, including Torquato Tasso. During those years, between the late 16th and early 17th centuries, Gesualdo built three churches, a Dominican convent, and a Capuchin convent (which houses the Gesualdo altarpiece, "Perdono di Gesualdo," attributed to Giovanni Balducci). Upon Carlo Gesualdo's death, Niccolò Ludovisi succeeded him as Lord of Gesualdo. Palaces were built for the court and accommodations for the artisans and servants, thus boosting the development of the village at the foot of the castle. Squares and fountains of pleasant workmanship still complete the architectural complex of the village, together with the churches and noble palaces (Palazzo Mattioli and Palazzo Pisapia), in addition of course to the majestic castle.
Until the middle of the last century, Gesualdo's economy was based primarily on trade, particularly in livestock and agricultural products. The town fairs, whose tradition dates back to 1588, were very rich and well-known, attracting buyers from throughout Irpinia and neighboring Puglia. Agriculture, with large vegetable production, especially celery, and crafts, particularly wood and stone, also contributed significantly to the local economy.
ITINERARIES IN THE VALLEYS OF GOOD LIVINGPlaces of Interest
Castle
The castle's origins date back to the Early Middle Ages, during the Lombard conquests of Southern Italy. One hypothesis attributes the legendary Knight Sessualdo (or Gesualdo), a faithful servant of the Duchy of Benevento, to the castle's founder in the mid-6th century and its first lord. Another theory places the construction of the original castle around the 9th century at the behest of Radelchi, Prince of Benevento, as an outpost to defend the southern borders of his lands. The first documented records, however, date back to the 12th century, during the Norman period; the first lord was William of Hauteville. His descendants governed the fiefdom for five centuries. The most illustrious representative of the Norman family was Carlo Gesualdo, who lived in the castle between the 16th and 17th centuries. It acquired considerable importance in the Norman-Swabian era due to its strategic position on one of the most frequented natural routes in Irpinia. It thus became one of the most important fortresses in our area. In 1137, it was already well known to the Benedictines of Montecassino, who stopped there on their way to Lagopesole to make peace with Pope Innocent II. The first documents relating to the formation of the settlement date back to 1078, the year in which Guglielmo Gesualdo appointed Elia II lord of the "Costrum di Gisualdi". Towards the end of the 16th century, with the arrival of Carlo Gesualdo, the manor underwent a transformation, transforming into a Renaissance-style noble residence. The Prince had the courtyard and loggia of the southern tower built, along with new apartments and kitchens equipped to accommodate a court. The rooms and galleries were decorated with Mannerist and Flemish paintings, and the theatre hall was created, followed by gardens and fountains. Many of the works begun by the Prince were completed under the rule of the Ludovisi family. Less prosperous centuries followed, with less virtuous owners remodeling the castle, which had many of the vestiges of the Prince's presence. The earthquake of September 8, 1694, caused the third floor, built at the end of the 16th century, to collapse. The castle has suffered various damages and lootings over the centuries: during the Franco-Spanish War (1460), when Ferdinand I of Aragon, in revenge against Luigi II Gesualdo, partially destroyed it; with the arrival of French troops in 1799. In 1855, after decades of abandonment following disastrous earthquakes and looting, the castle became the property of the Caccese family who ordered a profound structural transformation: the access avenue from Piazza Neviera was built, the façade was completely renovated and new internal spaces were created. On 13 October 1913, due to its high architectural, historical, artistic and environmental value, it was listed by the Superintendency of Artistic and Environmental Heritage of Salerno and Avellino. The castle was severely damaged by the Irpinia earthquake of November 23, 1980. Having become public property in the early 2000s, it underwent extensive restoration work, which is still incomplete. Reopened to the public in December 2015, it has been only partially restored pending the start of restoration work on the provincial-owned area. Currently, the rooms in the southeast section, the internal courtyard, and the hanging garden are open to visitors.
Church of St. Nicholas
The church, dedicated to the Bishop of Myra, St. Nicholas, likely arose around the 12th century near the castle walls, on the slope of the medieval village. There is no documentary evidence of this early structure, although the existence of a crypt, walled in by Bishop Torti Rogadei in the 18th century, a characteristic of churches built between the 11th and 13th centuries, suggests a medieval layout. The earliest records attesting to the church's existence date back to the early decades of the 16th century, the years in which Gesualdo passed from the brief rule of the Spanish captain Consalvo de Cordova to that of the feudal lord Fabrizio Gesualdo and his son Louis IV. During the Gesualdo family's rule, the church underwent various restorations and expansions, some of which are still visible in the oldest sections of the walls and commemorated by plaques inside the sacred building.
In 1538, during the archpriesthood of the Reverend Mastronicola, the church was enriched with the tribune and the wooden choir and later, under the Lordships of Carlo Gesualdo and Niccolò Ludovisi, with a collection of canvases and paintings.
The building was demolished and rebuilt in 1760, in the form it still appears today. The austere and dignified façade is enriched by a grandiose freestone portal sculpted by Giuseppe Landi da Calvanico in 1760.
Church of the Holy Rosary
The church, with its Dominican monastery, was begun by Prince Carlo Gesualdo, who, however, only managed to lay the foundations, and completed by Nicolò Ludovisi in the first half of the 17th century. It was awarded the title of Archconfraternity in 1912.
It has three naves and includes nine beautifully crafted polychrome marble altars in the Baroque style, a delightful balustrade, and a beautiful inlaid wooden choir. The high altar, dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary, is truly magnificent and rich, entirely made of polychrome marble, as is the beautiful balustrade. Behind the high altar is a beautiful inlaid wooden choir. The altar on the right as you enter is dedicated to St. Vincent Ferrer. In the niche is a statue of the saint, exquisitely carved and adorned with an ornate column and silver diadem. The pulpit and organ are also noteworthy. On the last Sunday in August, the feast in honor of St. Vincent Ferrer is celebrated, with great and heartfelt popular participation, during which the traditional "Flight of the Angel" takes place.
Church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie – Capuchin Convent
The church is located at the end of Via Cappuccini, with the adjacent Convent of the Capuchin Fathers. They were built by Prince Carlo Gesualdo in 1592, as stated on the plaque on the façade of the convent. The convent, enlarged by Nicolò Ludovisi in 1629, was damaged by the earthquake of November 23, 1980. It has a single nave; the high altar and the side altars are made of polychrome marble. The very simple and austere façade features the coat of arms of Prince Carlo Gesualdo above the entrance arch. The famous painting preserved in the church, entitled "The Forgiveness of Carlo Gesualdo" (481 cm x 310 cm) by Giovanni Balducci, is considered by the Gothic-Tenebrist tradition to be an icon of repentance, in which the prince supposedly conveyed his inner torment for the double murder. More generally, it is believed that the votive canvas depicts the request for forgiveness for all sinful humanity, just as the musician prince wrote in 1585 in his first motet, "Ne reminiscaris, Domine, delicta nostra": Forgive, Lord, our sins. The convent, with its beautiful cloister and garden, is a place of seraphic peace. For decades, it was the home of the Moral Theology course for Franciscan seminarians of the Capuchin Order. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina stayed in the convent from November to December 1909. Inside, you can visit the Museum of San Pio and Cell of the Saint.
Church of San Rocco
The church was founded in 1616 by Princess Isabella, granddaughter of Carlo Gesualdo, under the title of St. Anthony of Vienna. In 1820, as recorded on a plaque above the entrance door, it was enlarged due to lack of space, doubling its original length and height.
The main façade was rebuilt with an artistic portal, and a square-based bell tower with a dome covered in hand-painted porcelain tiles was built, separate from the body of the church. Unfortunately, this latter structure, having become unsafe, was demolished in 1909 and replaced by a new bell tower built on the opposite side. Access to the new belfry was achieved by a stone spiral staircase with self-supporting monolithic steps. The interior was enriched with exquisite stucco in 1922, when the statue of the Virgin of Sorrows, purchased from the Calderazzo company of Naples by Prior Don Pasquale Dell'Erario with money won in the lottery, was placed on the high altar. In the 1970s, the façade was clad in Fontanarosa stone. At the center of the church, above the portal, an image of Our Lady of Sorrows was reproduced in ceramics from Vietri sul Mare, while at the top of the pediment was placed a statue of Saint Rocco, specially commissioned from Carrara, imitating the one preserved inside the church. Following the devastating earthquake of 1980, the church was unusable for approximately a decade. The apse collapsed, and frescoes, stuccoes, and pieces of altars were lost. Since the 18th century, it has been the home of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Sorrows.
The Cappellone
In Piazza Umberto I, where you can admire a magnificent fountain built in the center in 1688, the most impressive work is the Cappellone. The building as a whole presents three structural forms:
- the lower part (base), with the stone facade, decorated with relief carvings, is prismatic with a square base
- the central part (drum), in which four large windows open, perfectly aligned with the cardinal points, is cylindrical
- the upper part (dome) is perfectly hemispherical
It is a striking and imposing building with a beautifully crafted travertine façade overlooking a broad staircase of nine steps of the same stone, built in 1842 by master stonemasons Pesiri di Gesualdo. From the stone cornice up, the church's architecture is cylindrical with four small, opposing windows. The whole is topped by a beautiful dome, which in turn is topped by another, much smaller dome resting on four small pillars. At the top is a cross, and beneath it a beautifully crafted weathervane. The construction is attributed to Domenico Ludovisi and his son Nicolò, who completed it in 1736. Inside, the Palio canvas, celebrating the reconciliatory meeting between Carlo and Emanuele Gesualdo, is on display.
