Santa Lucia Di Serino: Aqueducts, Church Art and Casa Museo

Santa Lucia Di Serino lies in the Alta Valle del fiume Sabato, at an altitude of about 400 metres above sea level. The town can be explored through several clearly distinct themes: water engineering from Roman times to the 19th century, sacred art, the Casa Museo San Giuseppe Moscati and former pastoralism. Monte Faggeto separates Santa Lucia Di Serino from Volturara Irpina. Here, the landscape and the town’s history are closely linked: springs, historic structures and a former livestock trail point to different uses of the area.

Water Engineering as Part of the Town’s History

The Roman Acquedotto Romano in the Acquara district used local springs to carry water as far as the military port of Miseno. This links a specific district, a resource and a distant destination in a story of water transport. The Acquedotto di Serino tells a different chapter in this infrastructure history: it was inaugurated in 1885, after four years of construction, and carried drinking water to Naples. Together, the two structures can be viewed as having different temporal and spatial connections to water engineering.

The SORGENTI ALTE “ACQUARO PELOSI” are also part of this subject. They are associated with the Acquedotto Augusteo, the Acquedotto Sannitico and the Acquedotto di Serino. Alongside the individual conduits, the springs are therefore a point of reference for several named waterworks. Those interested in historic infrastructure will find different structures and destinations here, which cannot be reduced to a single project.

Churches and Sacred Art

The Chiesa dei Santi Apostoli Pietro e Paolo was rebuilt in 1634 after collapsing as a result of the 1631 eruption of Vesuvius. The Chiesa Madre dei Santissimi Apostoli Pietro e Paolo also houses a Pietà by Solimena. The building’s history and the artwork offer two distinct perspectives: one account tells of destruction and reconstruction, while the other draws attention to a specific work.

The Chiesa di San Rocco preserves a wooden statue of the saint. Another aspect of sacred art can be seen at the Monastero delle Clarisse di Santa Maria della Sanità: restoration work there uncovered frescoes and wooden statues attributed, among others, to Michele Ricciardi, Giacomo Colombo and Nicola Fumo. The attributions and the different types of works show that the town’s religious art history is not limited to a single building or object.

Casa Museo San Giuseppe Moscati

The Casa Museo San Giuseppe Moscati is located in Palazzo Moscati, a historic residence of Giuseppe Moscati’s family dating back to the 16th century. The rooms are furnished according to the tastes of their respective periods. They display furniture, art and household objects, photographs and original documents belonging to family members. In this way, the Casa Museo brings together the historic residence, objects from family life and documents relating to the family’s history.

This focus differs from that of the aqueducts and churches: here, the house, its furnishings and the family’s records take centre stage. For those planning a culture-focused stay, Santa Lucia Di Serino therefore offers a range of themes that can be explored individually or viewed as distinct parts of the town’s history.

Landscape and Former Routes

Its location in the Alta Valle del fiume Sabato and its approximate altitude of 400 metres provide a brief geographical orientation. Monte Faggeto separates the town from Volturara Irpina. A tratturo, or livestock trail, also once connected Santa Lucia Di Serino with Volturara Irpina; Irpinian shepherds used it to move their livestock seasonally. This historic connection is part of pastoralism and complements the history of water transport with another form of movement through the area. The tratturo and the aqueducts thus tell of the different purposes that routes and connections served in the past.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Misciano, Capriglia Irpina, Fontanarosa, Contrada, Serino, Castelfranci, Venticano, Piano.

For the wider travel overview: Avellino.