Contigliano

Contigliano is a village rich in history: the remains of the Roman settlement are still visible, formed when Quintilianus, a rhetorician and friend of Vespasian, retired there in the 1st century AD. All that remains from the Middle Ages are the walls and the urban layout with the city gates. Houses and narrow streets, steps and arches characterise this small centre dominated, at the top of the hill, by the 17th-century Colleggiata di San Michele, rich in frescoed chapels.

Notable sacred buildings include theCistercian Abbey of St Shepherd, the Church of St John and the Church of St Lawrence, both reduced to ruins.

Contigliano is the scene of two historical re-enactments in August: theAssault on the Castle and the Palio dell'Ariete.

The local delicacies are lu pizzicottu PAT, a bread dough dumpling seasoned with spicy sauce; fregnacce all'arrabbiata, cheese, truffles, cured meats, San Filippo PAT butter, still produced using ancient tools, and the PAT bull's horn tomato. Among the desserts, mention must be made of the pizza sucia PAT typical of the Christmas period.