Avigliano is surrounded by numerous peaks of various heights: The municipality is bounded by the comuni of Atella, Bella, Filiano, Forenza, Pietragalla, Potenza and Ruoti.

Later it was expanded by the Normans and was a hunter mansion for Frederick II of Hohenstaufen and a summer residence for the Angevin kings of Naples.

The other municipal frazioni are the villages and localities of Badia, Bancone di Sopra, Bancone di Sotto, Bruciate di Sopra, Bruciate di Sotto, Bufolaria (or Bufalaria), Canarra, Canestrelle, Carpinelli, Cascia, Cerza Montanara, Chicone, Ciccolecchia, Contrada Cefalo, Frusci, Gallicchio, Gianturco di Sant'Angelo, Giardiniera Inferiore, Giardiniera Superiore, Lacciola, Lazzi e Spilli, Limitone, Masi, Masseria Bozzelli, Masseria Nardella, Mezzomiero, Miracolo, Moccaro, Montemarcone Alto, Montemarcone Basso, Pantani, Paoladoce, Patacca, Piano del Conte, Piano del Lago, Possidente, Riseca Don Ciccio, Salinas, Sant'Angelo, Sarachelle, Sarnelli, Sassano, Sceppi, Signore, Spinamara, Stagliuozzo, Stolfi, Torretta, Ualano and Valvano Corbo.

[6] The earliest archaeological and documented reports that confirm the existence of Avigliano go back to Medieval times, but there remain many elaborate theories over the origin of the city.

Another legend derives from the origin of the name Avigliano from the Latin Avis locum, which is "place of the fowl", a name given to the area by a group of sailors from the East.