Senerchia

Senerchia
—  Comune  —
Comune di Senerchia
Senerchia Location of Senerchia in Italy
Coordinates: 40°44′30″N 15°12′15″E
Country	Italy
Region	Campania
Province	Province of Avellino
Frazioni	Saperoni, Acquabianca, Cervaro, Maglio
Government
• Mayor	Beniamino Grillo (Unione di Centro)
Area
• Total	36 km2 (13.9 sq mi)
Elevation	600 m (1,969 ft)
Highest elevation	1,803 m (5,915 ft)
Lowest elevation	161 m (528 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	1,036
• Density	28.8/km2 (74.5/sq mi)
Demonym	Senerchiesi
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	83050
Dialing code	0827
Patron saint	St. Michael the Archangel
Saint day	29 septembre
Website	Official website

Senerchia (in the local dialect "Sinerchia") is an Italian municipality of 1370 registered voters, but with only 1036 inhabitants, in the province of Avellino, located in the High Sele Valley Sele in Campania.

Geography

Senerchia, bordering mainly with the Province of Salerno, is surrounded by Picentini mountains. Its main road links it to Quaglietta, onto the exit "Senerchia-Quaglietta" of the Lioni-Contursi rapid road.

Senerchia borders with the municipalities of Acerno (SA), Campagna (SA), Oliveto Citra (SA), Valva (SA) and Calabritto, the only one in its same province.

The village is located 600 meters above sea level, in High Sele Valley, in a hilly area on the eastern side of the mountain group Picentini, at the foot of the steep slopes of Mount Boschetiello. The territory is composed of more than half of the mountains and forested including many peaks with elevations over 1500 meters above sea level including: Mount Boschetiello 1574 m, Mount Croce 1533 m, Raia della Volpe 1631 m, Sierro dei Cuoppi 1683 m, Sierro della Pica 1536 m, Raia del Pastore 1524m.. While the hilly terrain, starts from 600m and down the country, up 161 meters above sea level, on the right bank of the river Sele. The territory is full of springs, although the main sources were picked from the aqueduct ASIS (formerly Montestella), the soil is highly landslide. In addition to the Sele, which skirts the municipal area, the other waterways are: Vallone Forma, Piceglia, Fiumicello Rovivo, Pozzo San Nicola and Acquabianca.

Following the Irpinia earthquake of 1980, Senerchia has undergone a radical urban transformation, the village was completely destroyed. The old part has been abandoned and dangerous buildings are clearly visible. Where stood the main square and the mother church, as a result of a landslide, there is now a green area. The buildings have been reconstructed on the sidelines of the old site, with a new urbanization and wide streets.

History

Origins

The origins of Senerchia are many remote, already pre-Roman settlement, the first settlement is positioned sull'altura where currently there are the ruins of the castle in the area, with evident morphology of natural defense, almost forming a fortified town. That this hill, and a spur of Mount Boschetiello, overlooks and has views across the High Sele Valley. Senerchia name derives from Sena Herclae in archaic Latin means Sine of Hercules. This suggests that Senerchia has had a rich and interesting past. Based on the etymology of the word we can infer that Senerchia was once strong and powerful. The ruins of the castle are located in the upper part of the old village, near 'the church of the patron Saint Michael the Archangel, remind us that in ancient times' and during feudalism, Senerchia was a powerful feudal lord of the castle and the important to a feudal lord. (Others say the name recalls the names of local silerchia northern Tuscany, silerchie which require a "silercula" from the Latin Siler-eris plant that grows in places full of water).

Spartacus

The final battle that saw the defeat and death of Spartacus in 71 BC took place on the present territory of Senerchia on the right bank of the river Sele in the area that includes the border with Oliveto Citra up to those of Calabritto, near the village of Quaglietta, in High Sele Valley, which territory at that time was part of Lucania. In this area, in the past decades, there have been finds of armor, armor and swords of the Roman era. Spartacus with his army of slaves, herdsmen, shepherds, people young and robust, it diregeva toward Apulia, according to some of there because he wanted to set sail for Thrace. Then Crassus, who was the head of a Roman army very numerous and well armed, attacked him from behind. Spartacus, also because of the weariness of his men, he wanted to move the battle to the Romans. Spartacus killed his horse, saying that if he won he would have all the horses he wanted, but if he lost would not be tempted to run away, Spartacus, threw himself on the first against the Roman army, and after killing some Roman soldiers was so riddled with so many hits that his body could not be found. Some detachments of his army fled and scattered over the surrounding mountains.

The family of Sinerchia

Mentioned as Sinerchia in the Baronum Catalogus of 1150-1168.

About Senerchia, Scipione Ammirato (1531–1601) writes, "is a castle in the Principality of Salerno of 160 fires, which has given the name at the family that are over three hundred years sure who owns it," referring to the family Sinerchia saw its history closely linked to that of the small town of Campania. The Sinerchia, were an ancient noble family of Norman origin, derived from Filangieri, and had many feuds between Campania, Basilicata and Puglia, and lived mainly between Senerchia and Naples until the fifteenth century. The Sinerchia, transplanted later in the Basilicata region were honored with the title of Count in the fifteenth century, following the conspiracy of the barons assumed the surname Scardaccione. Amelio Senerchia Baron of Rapone and Castelgrande, participated in the conspiracy of the Barons hatched in the Castle of Malconsiglio in Miglionico in 1481. Orlando Sinerchia Scardaccione Earl of St. Andrew, when he moved to Power, together with his cousin Amelio was deprived of possessions as a result of events related to the Conspiracy of the Barons in the Castle of Malconsiglio in Miglionico in 1481.

The castle Sena Herclea

The origin of the castle of Senerchia is ancient, perhaps already, defensive garrison of Irpini and the Romans probably had to work hard to assoggiettarlo, hence the Latin name Sena Herclea (which means Sine of Hercules). It was strengthened under the control of the Byzantines in the final war against the Goths. Then with the Lombards were changed fortification and made ​​further extensions. In the Angevin period of Senerchia Nicholas was keeper in 1271, commissioned by Charles I of Anjou. The keep, with its west front of the well-preserved, is one of the few survivors of the ancient fortified complex from which searches a vast panorama overlooking the High Sele Valley.