Brienza
| Brienza | |
|---|---|
| Comune | |
| Comune di Brienza | |
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 Brienza
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| Coordinates: 40°28′43″N 15°37′47″E / 40.47861°N 15.62972°ECoordinates: 40°28′43″N 15°37′47″E / 40.47861°N 15.62972°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Basilicata |
| Province / Metropolitan city | Potenza (PZ) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 82.69 km2 (31.93 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 706 m (2,316 ft) |
| Population (31 December 2006) | |
| • Total | 4,193 |
| • Density | 51/km2 (130/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Burgentini |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 85050 |
| Dialing code | 0975 |
| Patron saint | San Cataldo |
| Saint day | 10 May |
| Website | Official website |
Brienza is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata.
Caracciolo’s Castle on top of a rocky spur dominates the Melandro valley. This former Angevin fortress, now only a ruin rises sheer from the river Pergola. Recently restored and Monument of Architectural Interest since 1900, the manor retains fragments of its original flooring and two statues, bearing witness to its past.
In summer, the village and the castle are the ideal scenario to hold events and historical commemorations, with exhibitions, concerts, parades and themed evenings.
The village of Brienza is one of the most interesting Medieval sites in Basilicata. Many churches enrich the artistic and cultural heritage of the area and bear witness to the way in which religion used (and still uses) to dictate the rhythm the daily life of the inhabitants of Basilicata. The most interesting sacred rites take place during the feast of the Holy Crucifix (first Sunday of May and third Sunday of September), celebrated through the representation of the “Incontro” and the “Volo dell’Angelo”.
From 2 to 5 August 2012, the event “Nights in the Castle – Rebel years 1967/1977” will take place, enlivening the Medieval town and the Castle thanks to many international artists, exhibitions, seminars, meetings, book presentations and many other events describing the “10 years of agitation” that changed the history of the World.
Mario Pagano was a philosopher, politician, lawyer, partisan, and a representative of the culture of the Enlightenment in Southern Italy. He was born in Brienza on 8 December 1748 to a family of notaries, and was sentenced to death in Naples on 29 October 1799. After growing up in his home town, he moved to Naples where, after an initial ecclesiastic career, he studied law. He played an important role during the Neapolitan revolution and in the brief experience of the Neapolitan Republic. An idealist and pursuer of justice, he devoted his life to defending the innocent, enacting just laws, and trying to abolish torture as a way of extorting truth during criminal trials. He wrote works of high cultural profile such as I Saggi Politici and Le considerazioni sul processo criminale, and was the almost sole author of the Neapolitan Constitution, which was never adopted.
“Minced meat, packed in a gut, because our soldiers learned how to do it from the Lucanians”. Marco Terenzio Varrone thus described the Lucanica, that is, the sausage, in the 1st century BC giving proof of its geographical origins. In fact, the term Lucanica has always been the synonym for sausage ever since the days of Cicerone and Marziale, who mention it being introduced to Rome by Lucanian slaves. Marco Gavinio Apicio, author of “De Re Coquinaria”, the most famous treatise on ancient Roman cooking, describes the recipe for this sausage in detail. Since then, even if the name itself dispels any doubt, many have disputed the fact that this product finds its origins in Basilicata. The Milanese would have the recipe date back to the hands of the Longobard queen Teodolinda and the Venetians claim it goes back to the peoples of the Alpine regions of Trento. The Consorzio della Lucanica di Brienza now wants to obtain the Igp for this local product. The production area includes 16 municipalities in the Potenza province, of which Brienza is obviously one, but these also include Tito, Bella, Muro Lucano, Picerno, Sasso di Castalda etc. The Lucanica sausage is characteristically U-shaped, weighs between 250 and 500 grams (8.8 and 17.6 oz) and is 40 to 70 centimetres (16 to 28 in) long. Its overwhelming aroma is of wild fennel seeds together with other spices and pepper. There is also a hot and spicy version with the addition of chilli pepper. Made with cuts of pork from the boned shoulder, bacon, tenderloin and minced ham, the Lucanica is stuffed into natural pig gut only. After preparation, the sausages then undergo a drying out period (2–7 days) followed by seasoning for at least 21 days. The Lucanica can be sold separately or in air-tight packaging at a controlled temperature, whole, in strings or sliced.
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Wikipedia