It is called Preta ru Mulacchio which in the Cilento dialect means "Stone of the Illegitimate Son" because it was also associated with fertility rites. "The complex", recalls Polcaro, "was frequented until the 1950s: women passed through the gallery because in popular beliefs the rock fertilized by the sun became capable of fertilizing". La Preta is basically made up of three boulders that have separated from a single block due to natural causes: between these three boulders, two “tunnels” have formed. However, the Preta has been profoundly modified by the work of man: large stones have been wedged in precise positions between the three original blocks, or placed to generate a roofing plan for the complex. In addition, some basins have been dug on the upper part of the Preta, which can be visited thanks to a wooden staircase prepared by the Park Authority. "The Petra has thus become a refined" stone calendar ", which indicates the date of the winter solstice with extraordinary precision", continues Polcaro. "Even in the absence of a precise dating, the megalith is probably attributed to the Proto-Apennine culture (beginning of the second millennium BC)". La Preta ru Mulacchio can be reached from the Sanctuary car park, where the bus is parked, with an easy path of about 400 meters and a difference in height of about 100 meters. From the sanctuary it is possible to observe the extraordinary panorama of the Cilento coasts. An archaeologist-astronomer explains how it was built, illustrates how it works as a "stone calendar" and tells of the millenary popular traditions that, until a few decades ago, demonstrated its association with fertility rites.
archeologiavocidalpassato.com/tag/preta-ru-mulacchio

Translated by Google •

In the know? Log-in to add a tip for other adventurers!

Details

Informations

Elevation 990 m

Weather

Sunday 18 January

11°C

6°C

54 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 12.0 km/h

See rides here

Take Me There

Location: Sessa Cilento, Salerno, Campania, Italy

Other Popular Places to Check Out

Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta (Celso)

Dovecote Tower of Parco Nazionale del Cilento

Pioppi Seafront Promenade

Ripe Rosse Scenic Coastal Road

Convento di Santa Maria delle Grazie e Monumento a San Francesco d'Assisi, Pollica

Oasi Naturalistica di San Mango Cilento

Historic Archway of San Mauro Cilento

Monte Stella Summit and Sanctuary

Belvedere di Sanza

Ruins on the Casalvelino–Celso Trail

View of the Cilento Coast and Hills

Porto di San Marco di Castellabate

Preta ru Mulacchio Megalithic Dolmen

Other Popular Places to Check Out

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️