Carpignano is a southern

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

village and hamlet (''

frazione A ''frazione'' (: ''frazioni'') is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' ('municipality') in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidat ...

'') of

Grottaminarda Grottaminarda (Irpino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Avellino (Campania), situated northeast of Naples, in the southwest of Italy. Grottaminarda is part of Roman Catholic Diocese of Ariano Irpino-Lacedonia and its territory bor ...

, a municipality in the

province of Avellino The province of Avellino () is a province in the Campania Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea ...

Campania Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islan ...

. In 2011 it had a population of 219.

History

Village's original name is actually ''Crispignanus'', which refers to native trees called "crisp" or "carp" (

Hornbeam Hornbeams are hardwood trees in the plant genus ''Carpinus'' in the family Betulaceae. Its species occur across much of the temperateness, temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Common names The common English name ''hornbeam'' derives ...

in local dialect) which have now gone extinct in the area. Some village elders still use this term; however, it is now becoming obsolete. Legend holds that Carpignano was once a thick forest where a portrait of a

Black Madonna The term ''Black Madonna'' or ''Black Virgin'' tends to refer to statues or paintings in Western Christendom of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus, where both figures are depicted with dark skin. The Jungian scholar, San Begg publ ...

hung on a tree. Neighboring farmers, who had stumbled across the portrait, tried to take the portrait back to their town several times, yet during the night, somehow, the portrait returned to the tree. Thus, the portrait was kept in that spot, upon which a grand sanctuary was built, called the Santuario di Carpignano. The portrait is adorned on the main wall in the church to this day.

Geography

Carpignano is a hill village located in the

Ufita Valley The Ufita is a river of Campania, in southern Italy. The source is in the Baronia traditional sub-region of Irpinia, in the province of Avellino, after which the river flows generally north-westwards, entering the province of Benevento before ent ...

, north of

Irpinia Irpinia ( Modern Latin ''Hirpinia'') is a geographical and cultural region of Southern Italy. It was the inland territory of the ancient '' Hirpini'' tribe, and its extent matches approximately today's province of Avellino. Geography The territ ...

. It spans on a provincial road linking Grottaminarda (4.5 km north) and Gesualdo (5 km south). It is 6 km from

Fontanarosa Fontanarosa is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Avellino, Campania, southern Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Penins ...

and the ancient Samnite town of

Aeclanum Aeclanum (also spelled Aeculanum, , ) was an ancient town of Samnium, Southern Italy, about 25 km east-southeast of Benevento, Beneventum, on the Via Appia. It lies in Passo di Mirabella, near the modern Mirabella Eclano. It is now an archa ...

, 6.5 from

Frigento Frigento is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy. It is located in the Ansanto valley and bordered by the municipalities of Carife, Flumeri, Gesualdo, Grottaminarda, Guardia Lombardi, Rocca San Felice, Sturno, and ...

, 7 from

Sturno Sturno is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Avellino, in the Campania region of southern Italy. The town, located in the valley of the Ufita river, is bordered by Carife, Castel Baronia, Flumeri, Frigento and Rocca San Felice. History ...

, 8 from

Mirabella Eclano Mirabella Eclano is an Italian town and ''comune'' of the province of Avellino, in the Southern Italian Campania region. its population was of 7,904. History The Roman site of Aeclanum once stood nearby. It is now an archaeological park and li ...

, 33 from

Benevento Benevento ( ; , ; ) is a city and (municipality) of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and the Sabato (r ...

and 46 from

Avellino Avellino () is a city and ''comune'', capital of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is situated in a plain surrounded by mountains east of Naples and is an important hub on the road from Salerno to Benevento. ...

Main sights

The main landmark is a sanctuary ("Santuario di Carpignano"), built in 1910 and located in the central village square, within the diocese of Ariano Irpino-Lacedonia.History of the Sanctuary of Carpignano
/ref> Other sights are represented by the

natural environment The natural environment or natural world encompasses all life, biotic and abiotic component, abiotic things occurring nature, naturally, meaning in this case not artificiality, artificial. The term is most often applied to Earth or some parts ...

that surrounds the village.

Events

Like all other towns in the area, Carpignano has a 3-4 day feast, usually in the first week of September. The feast usually culminates with the performance of a singer or talented artist on the last day of the feast.

Transport

Located between the

state highways A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either Route number, numbered or maintained by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered ...

SS90 and SS303, the village is 4 km far from the motorway exit "Grottaminarda", on the A16 motorway

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

Bari Bari ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia Regions of Italy, region, on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It is the first most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. It is a port and ...

References

External links

Madonna di Carpignano website

The Sanctuary of Carpignano
on the municipal website {{authority control Frazioni of the Province of Avellino