The earliest historical records date back to 1181, when the territory was reported to belong to a certain Norman lord Guglielmo. In 1460, it became the property of the De Capua family, then of the Prince of Riccia, then of the Capece Minutolo family, and finally of the Della Leonessa family, and only with the abolition of feudality in 1806 it became an autonomous municipality after the unification of Italy.
It is known as the native city of Generoso Pepe, founder of the famous newspaper ‘Il progresso italo-americano’; a newspaper of reference for Italian emigrants in the USA.
Today, the population of Arpaise is around 850 inhabitants and local production consists mainly of: cereals, oil, wine, hazelnuts, chestnuts, honey and the farming of cows, sheep and pigs for the production of cheese and sausages.