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Camarda, Capannola, Foggianello, Foggiano, Isca ricotta, Leonessa, Masseria Casella, Masseria Catapane, Masseria Menolecchia, Parasacco, San Giorgio di Melfi, San Nicola, Vaccareccia, Villa Mariannina
On a hill at the foot ofMount Vulture, Melfi is the most important town in Basilicata's Vulture, both as a tourist resort and economic centre. Its municipality lies next to the borders withCampania andApulia, and borders withAquilonia (AV),Ascoli Satriano (FG),Candela (FG),Lacedonia (AV),Lavello,Monteverde (AV),Rapolla,Rionero in Vulture andRocchetta Sant'Antonio (FG).[3] Its hamlets (frazioni) are the villages of Camarda, Capannola, Foggianello, Foggiano, Isca ricotta, Leonessa, Masseria Casella, Masseria Catapane, Masseria Menolecchia, Parasacco, San Giorgio di Melfi, San Nicola, Vaccareccia and Villa Mariannina.
Inhabited by the Daunians andLucanians, under theRomans, Melfi was included in the area of the colony ofVenusia, founded in 291 BC. After the fall ofWestern Roman Empire, Melfi gained importance in theMiddle Ages as a strategic point between areas controlled by the Byzantines and those controlled by theLombards.
Melfi was captured several times by the struggling powers of the region, until it was assigned to the Norman leaderWilliam I of Hauteville. The Hauteville family started from here their conquest of southern Italy, which, in the early 12th century, led to the creation of theKingdom of Sicily.
In 1059 Melfi became the capital of theDuchy of Apulia. Papal councils were held in the city in the same year,in 1089, and in 1109. In 1231, EmperorFrederick II proclaimed theConstitutions of Melfi (orConstitutiones Augustales) here, reinforcing control over his ever-expanding territory. He created a bureaucracy of paid officials, who among other things imposed a tax system on the local feudal rulers, who resented it but could not resist.
Later, the town shared the fate of the entireKingdom of Naples, falling into a long period of decline. Under theAngevin crown,Charles II ordered thecastle to be renovated and enlarged, making it the official residence of his wifeMary of Hungary.
During the war betweenFrancis I of France andCharles V of Spain for the Kingdom of Naples, the French army headed byOdet de Foix besieged Melfi in March 1528, slaying about 3.000 people, without sparing women or children.
Beating the French occupation, Charles V gave toAndrea Doria the title ofPrince of Melfi, for having successfully fought for his cause. His family held the city until the end of thefeudal system and maintained properties and estates until the agrarian reform in the middle of the 20th century.
During theParthenopean Republic, proclaimed in 1799, Melfi was controlled by the republicans until the arrival of thesanfedisti headed by the cardinalFabrizio Ruffo on May 29 of the same year. Unlike other centers, Ruffo was able to prevent the sack of Melfi, although many revolutionaries died in prisons, probably due to diseases or abuses.
Melfi was candidated as a capital of an autonomous province for several times. The first proposal dates back to 1866 and many were advanced over the years; the last one was made in 2006 by senators Guido Viceconte and Vincenzo Taddei.
The city enjoyed a revival of sorts from the end of the 20th century, and recently has gained additional prosperity when the Italian auto firmFIAT built a factory here.
The Castle of Melfi was probably constructedex novo by theNormans (11th century), as no trace of pre-existing Byzantine or Lombard edifices has been found. Originally, it was probably a simple rectangle with square towers, with further towers defending the main gate. One of the main internal buildings was later (16th–18th centuries) turned into a baronial palace by enclosing the walls between the towers within new walls. Under theAngevine rule a new section was added on the slope descending to the Melfia stream, with several constructions rising at different altitudes. The Castle was chosen by KingCharles II's wife,Mary of Hungary, as her residence. TheAragon kings gave it to theCaracciolo family, who rebuilt the side facing the city and dug a moat. Later it was a possession of the powerful House ofDoria.
TheDuomo (Cathedral), built in the 11th century for want ofRobert Guiscard, it was also rehandled in the baroque style after the earthquakes, with exception of the original Norman bell tower. The interior contains a magnificent 13th-century fresco, theMadonna with Child and Angels.
ThePalazzo del Vescovado (Bishopric Palace), erected in the 11th century but rebuilt in thebaroque style in the 18th century because of the earthquakes. It contains paintings byNicholas of Tolentino and Cristiano Danona.
The town winds along the Norman walls, with various gates, the most noteworthy being theVenosina gate (dating to the early 13th century), an ogival arch with two cylindrical towers on either side.
Since 1976 the Castle is home to the importantMuseo Nazionale Archeologico Melfese, with artifacts found in the area, from prehistoric times and all periods of settlement including the Daunian,Samnite,Lucanian andRoman periods. The most famous piece is the sarcophagus ofRapolla, a valuable example of imperial sculpture from the 2nd century CE, which came to light in 1856. There are collections of the archaic era (7th-6th century BC) with male and female funerary objects including amber pendants and the so-called Lavello cup. Of the 5th and century BC are the Hellenic-style finds - red ceramic figures calledfigulae and other princely objects. There are alsoSamnite artifacts from the 5th-3rd century BC, mostly in ivory and bone, as well as examples of Canosino pottery.
The rock church of Santa Margherita is completely dug out of volcanic tofa. Its architectonic structure and the style of its frescos are dated to the 13th century. It is the most beautiful and best preserved amongst the numerous frescoed caves found on the slopes of mt. Vulture, an evident result of an ancient and widespread monastic settlement. The phenomenon of rock churches in Southern Italy dates back to the monastic migration from Asia Minor and Balkans after the iconoclastic battles of the early 8th century.
Melfi was mainly an agricultural center until the beginning of the nineties, since then the industrial sector received a boost in thefrazione of San Nicola, with the building of an automobile factory owned byFiat. The plant contributed to the economic recovery of the company in the mid-nineties and the growth of its market share inEurope.[5]
In July 2018, this plant was also mentioned in international news after its workers announced a strike so as to protest about their conditions in view of the acquisition of the international football starCristiano Ronaldo byJuventus FC of Turin. This football club is owned by theAgnelli family who also owns Fiat Chrysler.[7]
Melfi also hosts aBarilla factory, built in 1994, and the seat ofGaudianello's mineral water company, among the top 10 national companies in the sector[8] and founded inRionero in Vulture, where the extraction is carried out.
Melfi is one of the cities in theVulture area involved in the production of the "Aglianico del Vulture", recognized asDOC, considered one of the greatest red wines ofItaly,[9] and the olive oil "Vulture". Another renowned product is the "marroncino", a type of chestnut used for many sweet and salty recipes and is precious for the industries specialized in the preparation of themarron glacé.[10]
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