Introduction
The site of ancient Abellinum, the remains of which can still be seen just outside of the center of modern Atripalda, was settled by a Samnite tribe called the Hirpini. It came under Roman control in 293BC, and the Roman dictator Sulla established a colonia for veterans there in 82 BC. Augustus also settled veterans in Abellinum, as did Severus Alexandrus in the third century. An earthquake in 346, the eruption of Vesuvius in 476, the Gothic Wars of 535-555, and the Langobard invasions of 568 all contributed to the decline of Roman Abellinum. Most surviving inhabitants removed to a new site that would become modern Avellino, but the Langobard kings recognized the territory’s independence and Truppoaldo built a fortress there. By the 4th century, a paleo-Christian basilica, cemetery, and so-called specus martyrum (martyr’s cave) had been established just outside of the Abellinum, and modern Atripalda grew up around this site. The new settlement was mentioned for the first time as Monte Atropoaldi in 1086.
In the Middle Ages Atripalda was a feudo of the Capece family, and later of the Orsini. The city records from the end of the 13th century through14th century indicate considerable economic development and urban expansion, rivaling that of nearby Avellino.
During the feudal rule of the Caracciolo family (1564-1806), who built a late-Renaissance style palazzo and park just outside of town, Atripalda saw one of the most prosperous periods of its history. The Caracciolo oversaw a burst of economic activity and were instrumental in establishing a customs office and in developing industrial mills producing iron, paper, and especially wool along the River Sabato. They also supported Atripalda’s cultural life, including a poetical academy. In 1585 the church of San Ippolisto was built over the specus Martyrum, as Atripalda obtained ecclesiastical autonomy from Avellino.
Atripalda continued to grow steadily in the 18th century and 19th century. Its population increased from about 2500 in 1755 to 4739 at the time of the first Italian census in 1861, despite occasional epidemics and generally high infant and childhood mortality. During the 19th century Atripalda’s built up-area continued to spread out from its mediaeval core and to the west and over the river Sabato, where a large market was established (the present-day Piazza Umberto I), anchored in 1885 with a new Dogana. Industries attested in the 19th century included copper and iron works, hat making and weaving establishments, and by the late 19th century Atripalda even had its own electric works. In recognition of Atripalda’s demographic and economic growth, the comune was designated as a citta (city) by royal decree in 1867. Atripalda’s industrial activity went into rapid decline by the beginning of the 20th century, however, due in part to a lack of labor as many able-bodied workers emigrated to the Americas. In the early twentieth century, the Italian gazetteer La Nuova Italia noted that the remaining population of about 6000 was generally impoverished and subsided mostly on traditional agricultural crops, including grain, maize, beans, wine, nuts, vegetables.
The great Irpinia earthquake of 23 November 1980 caused considerable damage in Atripalda but was also the impetus for new investment in infrastructure and economic development. Recent years have seen a revival of commercial activity, and the population has stabilized at around 11,000.
