Ariano Irpino

Ariano Irpino is a town in Campania. It is known as la Città del Tricolle ("the City of the Three Knolls") because it towers on three rounded hills.

Understand
Ariano Irpino lies upon the Irpinian Apennines and is almost centred between the Adriatic Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea. Its population is roughly 22,500 (2017) and its elevation is 788 metres (2,585 ft) above sea level, which brings the town a mild climate in summer and some snow in winter.

It used to be called Ariano or weirdly Ariano di Puglia ("Apulian Ariano"), although it was never part of Apulia. Ariano Irpino was legally granted the status of città ("city") in 1952.

The official and most widely spoken language in Ariano Irpino is Italian. A variety of Irpinian dialect (similar to Neapolitan) is used too. English is the most commonly spoken foreign language, although the average knowledge of English is far from excellent.

The town has very ancient origins, and there are two archaeological sites in the area: the Neolithic village of La Starza (the oldest in Campania) and the Roman village of Aequum Tuticum (a road junction between the Via Traiana and the Via Herculea). The historical centre of Ariano has medieval origins. Founded by the Lombards, it assumed great importance under the Normans. King Roger II lived there and held the famous Assizes of Ariano (in the 12th century). It was devastated by the Saracens of Lucera, but rose again under the Angevins. It was one of the first southern towns to free itself from the feudal yoke (in 1585).

By plane
Naples International Airport (Aeroporto Internazionale di Napoli, also known as Capodichino Airport) is 100 km away from the town, which is easily accessible via A16 highway. From the airport you can also take an AirCampania bus for €10; you should buy your ticket at a bar or a kiosk specifying the destination ("Ariano Irpino"). There are several AIR buses on working days and Saturdays, but only a few ones on Sundays.

Other useful facilities are the intercontinental Fiumicino Airport (near Rome, 275 km away), and the smaller national Foggia Gino Lisa Airport, which is only 60 km away.

By train


Ariano Irpino railway station is 6 km away from the town; there is at least a couple of trains a day connecting Rome (with stops in Benevento, Telese, Caserta, Vairano, Cassino, Frosinone, Anagni) and Bari (with stops in Foggia, Barletta, Trani, Bisceglie, Molfetta; once a week it continues its journey beyond Bari to reach Gioia del Colle and Taranto, and vice versa). No taxis and only a few buses are available at the train station, but you can conveniently book a minicab instead (Mèmoli Service: ).

Alternatively you can arrive at Napoli Centrale railway station and take an AirCampania bus to Ariano Irpino. You can also get to Foggia railway station and there take an AirCampania bus to Ariano Irpino, but only on working days.



By bus
AirCampania bus daily connects the town with Avellino and Naples; on working days (Monday to Saturday) there are bus links with Benevento and Foggia too.

By car
Ariano Irpino is directly connected with the A16 highway by Grottaminarda junction. The trip takes generally less than 2 hours from Naples or Bari, and at most 3 hours from Rome. Alternatively, you can follow the A14 highway Pescara-Bari, exit at Foggia and subsequently take the SS 90 road for Naples.

Get around
Except at peak hours, traffic is flowing and parking is easy and cheap. Most distances in the historic centre are small and can be walked in a matter of minutes: only remember to always look left for incoming cars or motorbikes because circulation follows European standards.

The bus terminal is a 10-minute walk-away, but you can conveniently use the intermediate stops.

There is also Circolare, an urban bus service that connects all points of the town (except the train station), but the frequency is poor (1 every hour on weekdays, 1 every 2 hours on holidays); you will pay €1.20 if you buy the ticket onboard the bus, but only €1 if you buy it at an authorized selling point or tobacco shops (Tabaccheria, easily identified by a big white "T" on a rectangular black field). In any case the validity is one hour.

See
Despite wars and earthquakes the town retains several historic buildings and ancient sights.

Do


Halfway between the Romanesque Cathedral and the Norman Castle, along via Tribunali street, there is the Communal Auditorium "Lina Wertmüller". Instead the nightclubs are in the suburbs, along the statal road.
 * Ariano International Film Festival (AIFF), July and August. International film festival.
 * Historical re-enactment of the gift of the Holy Thorns, in Italian Rievocazione storica del dono delle Sacre Spine. August. Ancient historical reenactment.
 * Ariano Folkfestival (AFF), August. International folk music festival.
 * Pizza party, in Italian Festa della Pizza (in Bosco Frólice, a large green area 5 km from the city center, on the road to Montecalvo Irpino). August. Traditional feast dedicated to good food and excellent company.
 * Ariano Oktoberfest (in the same location as Pizza party). September and October. A beer and music festival.

Learn
BioGeM is a university consortium based in Ariano Irpino. Its campus runs master's degrees in biomedical, biochemical and bio-juridical fields. The town is also home to Pegaso e-learning university and the European Center for Norman Studies.

Work
An employment office is available along SS-90 statal road, but if you want to find a job in a short time ask around at the hotels, restaurants, bars and shops. However, learning Italian is a worthwhile activity if you plan to stay in Ariano Irpino for any length of time.

Buy


In the historic center there is plenty of small and typical shops, among which the traditional majolica ones stand out. There are important fairs on Palm Sunday, on Sunday in Albis, on June 13th, on July 16th and on November 1st. The weekly market takes place on Wednesday.

Large distribution chains find a place in the outskirts, with two big fairs: on the second Sunday of May in Cardito suburb, and on the last Sunday of July (or the first Sunday of August) in Martiri suburb.

Eat

 * La Pignata, a high level restaurant near the bus station, offers many typical local products.
 * San Domenico, a middle-class restaurant, is just in front of the police station.
 * Pizzerias, delis, rotisseries and pastry shops are everywhere, whereas agritourism accommodations are numerous in the countryside.

Drink
The typical place for nightlife movida is around the bars and cafes on Piazza Duomo, Piazza Plebiscito and Piazza Ferrara, within the old town. Many pubs are also in Piazza Pasteni, at the terminal bus, becoming busy after about 22:00. If you want to venture to the outskirts of the city, there are many clubs and discos along the statal road.

Sleep


A few luxury hotels are instead in the suburbs, along the statal road.

Connect
The town has a free network of public Wi-Fi access, which covers several areas in the historic centre with each area being indicated by a special signal.

Go next
All around the town there are several medieval villages, each of them with only hundreds or, at most, a few thousand inhabitants. Among them, Zungoli, Savignano Irpino and Greci better retain their ancient shape and the surrounding natural environment.

From Ariano Irpino it is also very easy to reach the provincial capital Avellino (50 km away) and the regional capital Naples (100 km away) by car or public transport.