ジッフォーニセーカサリの洞窟・トップ8

The castle of Mercato San Severino, the second largest in Italy, was founded after 1067 by the Norman knight Turgisio Sanseverino, to whom Robert Guiscard granted the ancient city of Rota as a fief. Its current appearance dates primarily to the Angevin period. The settlement was defended by three sets of walls, with a palatium, a parade ground, and other areas. (Source: Wikipedia)

Remains of the feudal castle of Serino, complete with boundary walls and access arch. Very suggestive place!

On the top of a hill full of vegetation, in the locality of Toppola, are the ruins of the Feudal Castle of Serino which, together with the Castle of Orano, constitutes the group of fortifications present in the territory of the municipality. Of the original structure, only the perimeter walls and the ancient chapel, now restored, are visible. According to some sources, the castle was built around 839 AD, as a defensive bulwark for the local inhabitants threatened by the raids of the militias engaged in the dynastic struggles for the succession to the throne of Benevento. However, the current conformation of the castle should date back to 1159, the year in which Costanza Saracena, belonging to the Sanseverino family, elected Serino as the capital of her feud. The structure is accessed through two suggestive arched doors that mark the passage along the three short ramps that once led to the main entrance. After the last door, you come across the Sanctuary dedicated to the Madonna delle Grazie which today includes the private chapel with a bell tower, once located near the residence of the feudal lord. With the loss of its defensive function, the castle suffered the neglect of time and was gradually abandoned. The ruins of the building, with the adjoining restored church, are now well kept, inserted within a highly suggestive natural setting, in which the centuries-old linden tree in front of the church makes a fine show.

A small historical jewel, the medieval village of Terravecchia, surrounded by a thick belt of olive groves, stands out in the Picentina Valley with its castle and centuries-old walls. It has just 51 souls, but its life has its roots in very remote times, in the ancient pre-Christian era when the area was settled by the Picentini. From 1000 onwards the village saw an exponential development; around the Castle the feud grew energetically, with shops, cisterns, warehouses, churches (that of Sant'Egidio and San Leone) and palaces. Cobbled streets and winding alleys look like a real capillary network and still today they shape and outline the center. The mule track leads to the castro which, restored in 1240 by Frederick II of Swabia, became a hunting lodge. The village abandoned since the end of the eighteenth century. after the D'Avalos family, today it has found vitality again, thanks to a huge restoration work. The historic houses, which have become venues for conferences, meetings and places of art, are authentically unique, confirming the richness of the local heritage. https://fondoambiente.it/luoghi/borgo-di-terravecchia-giffoni-valle-piana?ldc https://www.prolocogiffonivallepiana.it/borgo-e-castello-medievale-di-terravecchia/

The Feudal Castle is located on top of the Serino hill. It is inserted in a wooded environment, very luxuriant. Unfortunately a large part of the fortress is in a state of abandonment.

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castello_di_Mercato_San_Severino Simple excursion, however trekking shoes are recommended.

The castle dates back to the 12th century but was certainly built on a pre-existing Roman garrison dating back to 146 BC. It dominates the village with its walls of which the first, crenellated and well preserved, winds for over 200 meters with various stretches of crenellated curtains with slits and 14 towers. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Terravecchia was forgotten until 1240 when Frederick II of Swabia king of Sicily made it his residence for a period probably equal to one year, but only after having ordered a substantial restoration. after which the castle assumed the double function, just as the Swabian ruler had wanted, of castrum but also of domus or residence and ideal dwelling especially for hunting. The Castle and the walls are currently the subject of a major recovery and renovation work and it is from the walls that you can enjoy a magnificent view of both the surrounding valley and the mountains but also, in the most clear, of the sea.

Nice stop before arriving in Banzano going up from Borgo