San Pietro Avellana, nestled between the mountains and the greenery of Alto Molise, offers pure air and an excellent product: the truffle. The town arose near a Benedictine abbey and its name could derive from the Samnite city Volana, destroyed in the third Samnite war. According to others, however, Avellana would have been added for the presence of hazelnuts. Although there are no certain details about its urban development, it is known that the community incorporated the ancient abbey and surrounded itself with defensive walls.
During the Second World War, in November 1943, San Pietro Avellana was razed to the ground by retreating German troops. Reconstruction began in the 1950s, accompanied by the desire to recover the local historical memory. Thus a Museum dedicated to the pastoral civilization and artisan traditions of the area was born.
The town is located at the foot of Monte Miglio, crossed by the Rio stream and the Vandra river. In its surroundings are the remains of the medieval monastery of San Pietro dell’Avellana, founded in the 9th century and later annexed to Montecassino. Prominent religious figures lived here, such as Domenico di Sora and Sant’Amico, who is still venerated today. The parish church of the S.S. Apostoli Pietro e Paolo preserves the statue and relic of Sant’Amico in the crypt.
Other attractions include the rural church of San Giovanni Battista, the hermitage of Sant’Amico, the cyclopean Samnite walls on the top of Monte Miglio, the 18th-century Fontana Grande and the springs of Pesco Bertino, Capo di Vandra and Fonte Calante. Also noteworthy are the remains of the Taverna del Sangro and a medieval tower. On mountain there are the “Leopoldo del Re” astronomical observatory and the Planetarium.
San Pietro Avellana celebrates the truffle every year with two main events: the Black Truffle Fair on the second weekend of August and the Fine White Truffle Market Exhibition. The local gastronomy revolves around this prized mushroom, used to enrich cheeses, sauces, oil and butter. Among the typical dishes, fettuccine and gnocchi with truffles, ice cream with ricotta, pear and truffle, and “cazzarelli e fagioli” stand out. Traditional desserts include mustaccioli, friselle, “turcniegl” and piccillato, typical of Easter, a donut made with eggs and sugar. Among the religious holidays, the most heartfelt is the one dedicated to the patron saints S.S. Pietro and Paolo.