Discover Calitri

Historic Centre and Setting

Calitri lies on a tuff ridge at the foot of the Ofanto. Its inhabited centre retains a triangular layout and a medieval character, with narrow streets. These features describe the town as a whole; the churches, craft traditions and art trail add their own distinctive touches. When planning your trip, you can choose between exploring the historic layout and focusing on specific cultural highlights.

The narrow streets are part of the town’s medieval character, while the triangular layout describes the shape of its inhabited centre. The tuff ridge at the foot of the Ofanto adds the town’s setting to this description. Calitri can therefore be explored through both its settlement pattern and its individual buildings and traditions.

Churches and Architectural History

The Chiesa dell’Immacolata Concezione offers a clearly dated reference point: construction began in 1710 and lasted four years. The Chiesa Della Ss. Annunziata brings together different building periods. It dates from the 16th century and has a typical Renaissance portal with a lunette, inspired by Romanesque architecture. A lunette is the semicircular field above a portal.

The wooden high altar in the Chiesa Della Ss. Annunziata can also be dated: it is Baroque and dates from the 18th century. The sculptures may be attributed to Pietro Nittoli. Within the same church, the Renaissance portal and Baroque altar thus represent different periods of design; the attribution of the sculptures remains a possibility.

Good Friday and Crafts

The Good Friday procession has taken place at dawn on Good Friday for around three centuries. Its route passes through the streets of the historic centre and climbs to Calvario Hill. The tradition combines a specific time with a route through the town. As the date of Good Friday changes each year, plan your trip around the date on the calendar for that year.

Calitri has pottery workshops that continue a centuries-old craft tradition. L’anima Del Legno transforms reclaimed wooden objects into furnishings that draw on symbols and meanings from traditional craft culture. The examples have different points of emphasis: the pottery workshops focus on carrying on a long tradition, while L’anima Del Legno brings together the reuse of wood and the symbolic side of craft culture.

A municipal calendar entry dated 4 August 2023 listed a December event under the name Sagra della Scarpegghia. At this event in the historic centre, visitors could taste local products and discover handcrafted goods. If you want to plan your trip around this event, check the current events calendar before travelling.

Art Trail Through the Historic Centre

Calitri Sculture comprises artworks along a route through the historic centre. The route is about 1.2 kilometres long and climbs uphill. Unlike the churches described individually, Calitri Sculture is laid out as a route, with the artworks spread along the way. When planning your day, you can take the distance and climb into account together if you choose this cultural highlight.

The different themes can also be combined: the historic centre provides the setting, while the churches, procession, crafts and art trail each reveal a different facet of the town. You can plan your stay around whether you are especially interested in architectural history, living traditions or decorative arts and crafts.

Discover more destinations: Monteverde, Trevico, Villaggio Laceno, Villamaina, Montella, Misciano, Teora, Paternopoli.

For the main travel overview: Avellino.