What to see in Mirabella Eclano, a small hill town in Campania in the province of Avellino, which churches to visit and main events, including the great wagon ride.
Tourist information
Located on a hill in the Media Valle del Sabato, Mirabella Eclano was inhabited since prehistoric times, following the primitive settlement of Aeclanum, it developed from the fifth century before Christ and, during the Roman era, the city was passed through the Via Appia, which further increased its growing importance.
Mirabella Eclano retains important historical evidence from the Roman era, including the 10th century Church of Santa Maria Maggiore.
In this place of worship, which constitutes the main church of the town, works of great value can be found, including a beautiful crucifix from 1100 and the baptismal font, a work dating back to 1300.
Other churches are the nineteenth-century Church of San Prisco in via Raimondo Guarini, the modern Church of San Pasquale in Via Maddalena, the Church of San Prisco in Vallone and the Church of the Santissimo Rosario in the hamlet of Passo.
What see
Among the events to remember, we must mention the "great wagon ride", traditionally held at the end of summer which takes place in September, on the occasion of the feast of Maria Santissima Addolorata.
This event consists in the transport, through the city streets, of an obelisk covered with woven straw 25 meters high.
The wagon, which has a wooden structure, is made up of 23 beams superimposed according to a technique capable of giving it great flexibility, as well as ease of assembly and disassembly.
Through a precise arrangement of the beams, 7 floors are created, each of which, going from the bottom to the top, must be lower than the previous one.
The top three floors form the top of the cart, on which the obelisk with the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows is hoisted, which is the reason for the celebrations.
The cart is dragged by 6 pairs of large oxen of imposing size, the statue is kept in balance by a system made up of 38 hemp ropes held in tension by the funeral makers, a group formed by the inhabitants and tourists present more willing than with screams and songs, commit all their strength to support the structure, helping to add a note of joy to the day.
