Il Balconcino in Piazza
In the centre of Prata di Principato Ultra, on the Greco di Tufo hills, twenty minutes from Avellino
Prata di Principato Ultra is a village of three thousand people on a spur above the Sabato river, surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and hazelnut orchards, twenty minutes from Avellino. It is one of the eight villages of the Greco di Tufo appellation, and the historic wineries of Tufo, Santa Paolina and Montefusco are less than fifteen minutes away. Just outside the centre stands the Basilica dell’Annunziata, with an early Christian catacomb and early medieval frescoes, reopened on 25 March 2026 after years of closure. Within half an hour you reach Montevergine, Lombard and Roman Benevento and the Taurasi wine villages; within an hour, Naples and Pompeii. A quiet base for a different direction every day.
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What to do
Tufo, Santa Paolina and Montefusco are minutes away: family cellars and historic names open by appointment for a tour and a few glasses. An afternoon is enough for two wineries and a walk through the vines above the old sulphur mines.
Read the guideA church carved into the tuff, with a 3rd–4th century catacomb and an 8th-century praying Madonna. Reopened on 25 March 2026, it is visited on request: we will give you the contact to book.
Read the guideFrom Mercogliano the funicular climbs in seven minutes to the sanctuary at 1,270 metres, home to the “Mamma Schiavona” icon and the abbey museum. Walkers will find trails in the Partenio park up to the Campo Maggiore plateau.
Read the guideTrajan’s Arch, the Roman Theatre and UNESCO-listed Santa Sofia are all within walking distance in the old town. A half day well spent, with local nougat as a souvenir.
Read the guideOn selected weekends, Fondazione FS heritage railcars run the Avellino–Rocchetta line through vineyards, woods and hill villages of upper Irpinia. Tickets cost a few euros on Trenitalia channels; book early.
Read the guideOne hour on the motorway separates Prata from the ruins of Pompeii and the centre of Naples. Leave after breakfast and be back for dinner in the village, in the quiet of the hills.
Read the guideSeasonal tips
Cantine Aperte in late May and the first snow-free trails on Mount Terminio.
Festival evenings in Torrioni, Lapio and Taurasi, then Saint James’ day in Prata on 25 July.
Greco harvest in September, the Mirabella straw cart, then chestnuts and truffles in Montella and Bagnoli in November.
Nusco’s bonfires in January, Candlemas at Montevergine on 2 February, the tarantella of the Montemarano Carnival.
From Via Roma 4, by car
Further afield, for those with more days: the Mefite of the Ansanto Valley in Rocca San Felice, the sulphurous lake described by Virgil (visits by appointment), Lake Laceno, the Goleto abbey, the Telese spa and the Amalfi Coast.
Road distances and driving times without traffic, from Via Roma 4 (OpenStreetMap, November 2026).
| Destination | Distance | By car |
|---|---|---|
| Tufo and the Greco wineries | 5 km | 7 min |
| Santa Paolina | 6 km | 10 min |
| Montefusco | 8 km | 13 min |
| Avellino | 12 km | 18 min |
| Summonte | 13 km | 23 min |
| Lapio and the Fiano | 14 km | 25 min |
| Taurasi | 21 km | 28 min |
| Montevergine Sanctuary | 21 km | 40 min |
| Mirabella Eclano | 23 km | 29 min |
| Benevento | 24 km | 33 min |
| Pietrelcina | 37 km | 49 min |
| Lake Laceno | 50 km | 56 min |
| Pompeii | 61 km | 64 min |
| Naples Airport | 65 km | 58 min |
| Amalfi | 67 km | 70 min |
| Naples | 69 km | 62 min |
How to get here
A16 Naples–Canosa motorway, Avellino Est exit, 10 km from the house: from the exit follow signs for Pratola Serra / Prata di Principato Ultra. Free parking in the streets around the square.
Avellino station has no service until 2027. The useful station is Benevento, 24 km away, with Regional and Intercity trains; alternatively Napoli Centrale, 69 km away. From both, continue by rental car or bus.
AIR Campania links Prata with Avellino and Avellino with Naples (Metropark and Central Station, 50 minutes to an hour and a quarter). Commuter timetables: check them before you travel.
Naples Capodichino airport is 65 km away, about an hour by car. Bus connections between the airport and Avellino with AIR Campania and FlixBus.
