Morra De Sanctis is a town in the Upper Irpinia in the province of Avellino. The resident population is just over 1,100 inhabitants. Its territory, laid out on two ridges bordered by the streams Sarda, Isca and Sant'Angelo, has an area of 30.46 square kilometers.

The town, situated on the southernmost ridge of the western ridge, rises at an altitude of 820 m. above sea level. The name of the town comes from the union of two surnames. The first, "Morra", is that of one of the oldest noble families in southern Italy.

Among the most important exponents are two popes: Victor III (Benevento-1087) and Gregory XIII (Alberto Morra - 1187), the poet Giacomino Pugliese (Jacobus de Morra - XIII century), the poet Isabella Morra (Favale MT, 1520-1546) and the baron Scipione Morra, Secretary of the Queen of France Catherine de' Medici. The family owned a total of 3 principalities, 7 dukedoms, 2 marquisates and 29 fiefs and was ascribed to the Sedili of Naples. Of the remains of the family, in Morra, remains the Castle. This, restored after the earthquake of 1980, is currently destined to host conferences and events of various kinds.

The second surname is that of Francesco De Sanctis (1817-1883), a patriot, exile, professor, politician, philosopher and man of letters who was born here. Francesco De Sanctis can be considered one of the Fathers of the Fatherland. With his students he participated in the uprisings that broke out in Naples in 1948. Imprisoned in the fortress of Castel dell'Ovo, he was expelled from the Kingdom and boarded a ship that was to lead him to the United States. When he arrived in Malta, he managed to escape and take shelter first in Turin and then in Zurich, where he taught Italian Literature at the local Polytechnic. After the unification of Italy he returned home and began a fervent literary and political activity.

He was then appointed Governor of Avellino and Prime Minister of Education of post-unification Italy. In 1861 he was elected deputy for the first time. Among the most important literary works, in addition to numerous critical essays, there are "Youth" and "An electoral journey", autobiographical character, but above all the "History of Italian Literature" that is worth the title of "Father of Italian literary criticism". The work was described by American literary critic René Wellek as "the most beautiful literary story ever written". In Morra you can visit the Birthplace of the great critic with the adjoining museum desanctisiano. Among the most illustrious people of the country should also be mentioned the Blessed Mother Maria Gargani (1892-1973), the first spiritual daughter of Padre Pio and founder of the Apostolic Sisters of the Sacred Heart. She was beatified in the Cathedral of Naples on 2 June 1918 and the cause of sanctification is currently underway.