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Cirigliano (MT)

Located 656 m above sea level, surrounded by immense oak forests, Cirigliano, founded in 1060, still retains its characteristics of a medieval village intact. As evidence of these ancient origins, the imposing feudal castle stands with its characteristic oval tower.

History

Cirigliano extends over a hill at around 656 m. above sea level. According to Racioppi, the toponym could derive from "Cearellius", i.e. "property of Cerellio" as the town was built on the land of a certain Cerellio, a Roman legionary. According to Antonio da Oppido, however, it derives from "Caelianum", an ancient Roman post station on the Via Herculia. The first official document in which Cirigliano appears dates back to 1060 in a papal bull, which recognizes his belonging to the diocese of Tricarico, when the latter passed from the Greek to the Latin rite. In the Norman period the fiefdom belonged to the county of Montescaglioso and the lord of Cirigliano was a certain Asmindo, a soldier of the principality of Taranto.

In 1167 it belonged to a certain Pagano, lieutenant of Cirigliano, whose fiefdom was required to provide three soldiers and four orderlies. Subsequently under the Angevins, the lords of Cirigliano were Filippo Echinard and Giovanni Pipino. Later King Ladislaus donated the fiefdom to Giacovello Moccia. From 1487, when King Ferdinand of Aragon sold it to Pascacio Diaz Garlon, count of Alife, the fief of Cirigliano passed into the hands of many feudal lords almost always for sale, in fact after being purchased by Ettore Marra it was sold to Gianvincenzo Sanfelice, it reached Camilla Rocco and later her husband Cesare Muscettola. From the next buyer, Francesco, Muscettola's nephew, it passed into the hands of his daughter Cassandra who resold it to Giovanni Battista Coppola.

In 1593 the fiefdom was purchased by the Villani, who resold it to Francesco Formica. From the Gaudioso Report of 1736 we know that Cirigliano was a town with a healthy air, built between two valleys, whose population, essentially dedicated to agricultural work, produced excellent quality oil, wheat, wine and flax. When feudalism was abolished in 1806, the last lord of Cirigliano was a Fomica, Don Giovanni who died in 1816 in the family's feudal palace, whose external structure is still intact today. Cirigliano actively participated in the anti-French uprisings and during the period of brigandage suffered several lootings such as that which occurred by the brigands of Crocco in 1861. In 1973 a landslide of enormous proportions dealt a severe blow to the town's economy, many vineyards and olive groves were swept away from the fury of the event and numerous buildings suffered extensive damage.