ARIANO DI PUGLIA

ariano di puglia, a town and episcopal see, which, despite its name, now belongs to campania, italy, in the province of avellino, 1509 ft. above sea-level, on the railway between benevento and foggia, 24 m. e. of the former by rail. pop. (1901) town, 8384; commune, 17,653. it lies in the centre of a fertile district, but has no buildings of importance, as it has often been devastated by earthquakes. a considerable part of the population still dwells in caves. it has been supposed to occupy the site of aequum tuticum, an ancient samnite town, which became a post-station on the via traiana[1] in roman times; but this should probably be sought at s. eleuterio 5-1/2 m. north. it was a military position of some importance in the middle ages. thirteen miles south-south-east is the sorgente mefita, identical with the pools of ampsanctus (q.v.). (t. as.) footnote: [1] this has generally been supposed to be the place referred to by horace (_sat_. i. 5. 87), as one which the metre would not allow him to mention by name; but h.-nissen (_halische landeskunde_, berlin, 1902, ii. 845) proposes ausculum instead.