Photos

This photo I have released it to the 06 a.m. to

Summonte, a small country of the province of Avellino, to beyond 700m on the sea level, carefullied lay down in pleasant position on the stratums of the Partenio (Montevergine); it has ancient origins, attested from the ruins ultra millenarians of the castle and from the latin name (Summonte derives from Sub mount, under the mount).

That morning the dawn has been particularly generous giving wonderful colors and feelings to me.

Summonte is destination of many visitors in peculiar way to visit the Angioin Tower.

THE TOWER

In the actual historical center, in dominant position on the valley, it rose a fortress with the name of castrum submontis that it had the function of defense of Abellinum along the ancient way, than in the Middle Ages had the “Campanina” name, that one that currently it connects Avellino with Caudina Valley.
The Longobards occupied the territory with their families and was extremely mistrustful towards the local population. They preferred living in quarters separates and very protect, so that the fortress of Summonte, already existing, sure dwelling represented the ideal place for one.
Once installed, they adapted the fortification to their requirements, widening it and strengthening it with the construction of a tower, than, with the exception of all the others constructed in the land of
Benevento from the Longobards, had circular and not square base, probably in dependency of its dominant and isolated position.
Towards the end of the eleventh century after Christ, Summonte was granted in feudo to the Malerba, one frank family to the following of the Normans and the castle with the tower became the residence of feudal overlord. The Castle remarkablly was widened with the construction of rooms for the servants and for the soldiers and of a small church, until constituting a village entire walled, with main income from actual Saint Nicholas arc.
In the Angioin period the castle had its definitive order and the tower was restructured, until assuming the typical shape of the own towers period, found in ruin pre-existent to the recent jobs:
The aerophotogrammathics reliefs to infrared beams carry out in june 1980 from expert people in charge from the Common one have concurred of having a enough faithful picture of the pre-existent castle: to the center of it rised the majestic tower, from whose top was possible to watch the entire zone. In necessity case it served from reduced for the defended extreme.
The castle was encircled from various rows of perimetral walls with formations building to semicircle. These rows of wall rendered the much difficult access to the eventual aggressors and the fixed onslaught to the defense of the castle, also for the natural condition of the land, than it was risen literally to peak, he was, if not impossible, extremely arduous.
To of under and around to the tower there were reserviors and deposits that they allowed to resist also to along siege. Narrow and windings underground corridors allowed to besieged one to carry out the necessary connections in emergency conditions. The tower was lacking in access directed from the surrounding area.
The tower was to two plans, divideds from floors of wood, communicating between they by small steps gains from the thickness of the wall. Perhaps under it, in the buried part, much strait was a underground passage that connected it to those corridors.
It is historically sure that in the castle it was accommodated, in March of 1440, Renato d' Angiò, during its ill-fated war against Alfonso of Aragon.

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Select Italian and read Italian note

Another view of this tower:
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Italy/photo470614.htm