Monte Sant'Angelo

History

Monte Sant'Angelo as a town appeared only in the 11th century. Between 1081 and 1103 Monte Sant'Angelo was the capital of a large Norman dominion under the control of Count Henry, who was a vassal of the Byzantine Empire. The grotto which houses the Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel where, according to legend, the Archangel St. Michael appeared in 490, 492 and 493, has been the site of many famous pilgrimages (see: Saint Michael's line), which started from Mont-Saint-Michel, France. Pope John Paul II visited the sanctuary in 1987.

In the 17th century, the city became part of the Kingdom of Naples, to which it belonged until the unification of Italy in 1861.

Main sights

The most important attraction of Monte Sant'Angelo is the Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel, built in the 13th century by Charles I of Anjou.

On June 25, 2011, the World Heritage Committee added the Sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo in Monte Sant'Angelo to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Sanctuary is one of the seven groups of historic buildings included in the World Heritage Site "Longobards in Italy. Places of the power (568-774 A.D.)".

Other sights in Monte Sant'Angelo include:

The Castle, with bastions of different ages. The most ancient part, called Torre dei Giganti ("Giants' Tower") is a pentagonal tower 18 metres (59 ft) high, with walls 3.7 metres (12 ft) thick. Its first recorded historical mention dates to 979. Later it was the residence of Rainulf I of Aversa and the Robert Guiscard, who built the Norman Tower and the Treasure Hall. Emperor Frederick II restored the construction to use it as residence for his mistress Bianca Lancia, while under the Angevins it was used mainly as prison. Later, from 1464 to 1485, the fortress was the residence of the exiled Albanian condottiero Skanderbeg. The castle was largely rebuilt in the late 15th century by Ferdinand I. According to legend, the castle is home to the ghost of Bianca Lancia (popularly known as "Biancalancia"), whose sighs can be heard especially in the winter.

The Tomb of Rothari (Baptistry of San Giovanni in Tumba), a baptistery dating from the 12th century accessible from the 18th century church of St. Peter. The portal has notable reliefs depicting biblical events.

The church of Santa Maria Maggiore (11th and 12th centuries). The façade has blind arcades and a baldachin portal with sculpted frames. The interior has a nave and two aisles, divided by columns with sculpted capitals. The walls have Byzantine-style frescoes.

Pulsano Abbey, at 8 kilometres (5 mi) from the city. It was built in 591 over a Pagan temple and was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1646.

Employment

The majority of the working population own farmland, raise cattle, run bakeries, restaurants, or stores. Often stores and businesses are family owned.

The population of Monte Sant'Angelo remains relatively small due to lack of employment in town. Often, young people leave to find work elsewhere. Due to this the majority of the population is retired and elderly.