Laurino: the Pearl of the Calore

From the top of the Cavallo hill, at 531 m above sea level, Laurino dominates the whole surrounding landscape. It is the town richest in history in the area: a town of art, unspoilt nature and crystal-clear waters, and the birthplace of Sant’Elena di Laurino (Saint Helen of Laurino).

It was probably founded in the 3rd century BC. In the 12th century the population was well over 20,000. Laurino almost certainly takes its name from the abundance of bay laurel (from the Latin Laurus: Laurinus) in the surrounding vegetation, but it may also refer to the Basilian monasteries in the area (Laure).

Over the centuries, ancient peoples left valuable traces of their passage, as shown by the ruins of the Lombard castle, the wonderful medieval humpback bridges, and the frescoes and various wooden carvings of the Collegiata di Santa Maria Maggiore. Laurino is not just a village rich in art and history, but also a place where nature shows itself in its most spectacular forms.

The slope of Monte Cavallo on which the village stands descends gently towards the valley on one side, while on the other it drops sheer onto a cliff covered in thick vegetation. The high peaks create deep gorges from which plentiful springs pour out, flowing into the crystal-clear waters of the Calore river. Rich in vegetation and unspoilt nature, Laurino was known in the past as “La Perla del Calore” (The Pearl of the Calore).

Over the last 50 years it has undergone numerous works that have changed its urban and architectural appearance, partly erasing its look as a medieval town in favour of a more modern approach to building and restoration. Nothing, however, can diminish the charm of the old village; after all, the events organised in Laurino skilfully bring that past back to life through spectacular historical re-enactments in period costume.

PLACES OF INTEREST

THE GRAVA DI VESALO

The Grava di Vesalo, the largest sinkhole in the Alburni-Cervati Apennine massif, is one of the karst phenomena best known to cavers across Europe.

To find out more, read about the hike Laurino (Salerno), a hidden treasure in the Cilento National Park: the Grava di Vesalo

TRAILS BETWEEN NATURE AND HISTORY

The trail leading to the Grava di Vesalo is particularly beautiful and interesting. After crossing Laurino’s lovely medieval bridges, under which the Calore river flows, you come across the rural chapel of S. Elena, the evocative Gorgo-Nero springs and the Valle Soprana, skirting the Scanno del Tesoro. These routes feature unspoilt landscapes where you can still spot the otter.

There are also hikes up to the slopes of Monte Cavallo, Cervati and Pruno. On the latter you’ll find the Grotta dei Fraulusi and the Grotta di S. Elena, where the Saint lived in complete seclusion as a hermit and where she died in 530. Since then it has been home to a sanctuary dedicated to her.

THE CONVENTS

Laurino has no fewer than 5 convents. The most important is that of Sant’Antonio da Padova (Saint Anthony of Padua), which was built on the ruins of the hospital of S. Antonio Abate, with the help of noble families, as a charitable institution. The entrance is supported by pillars decorated with numerous paintings recalling the life of the Saint. In the four walks of the portico there are wonderful paintings reproducing the coats of arms of the noble families who contributed to its construction. In the sacristy you’ll find the sarcophagus of the second Duke of Laurino, Don Geronimo Carafa, and that of his mother, portrayed lying on the lid. In the middle of the cloister you can still see the old cistern from which water was drawn. The refectory holds rich paintings, including some depicting the ducal families in the elaborate traditional costumes they paraded through the streets of Laurino; alongside them are the coats of arms of the Carafa, Sanseverino, Gaetani and Aragona families

Attached to the convent is the church, whose vault is adorned with rich paintings of the life of Saint Anthony. A remarkable work of art is the entrance door, entirely made of wood carved into several framed panels.

PALAZZO DUCALE AND THE REMAINS OF THE LOMBARD CASTLE

On the highest spur of the hill on which Laurino stands, facing the rock walls of Monte Cavallo, the ruins of the original Lombard castle still stand the test of time. Despite the damage done by the centuries and by man, the structure can still partly be made out, although the upper floors have almost all collapsed. The “Castello de lauri” is mentioned for the first time in a document dated August 932. The castle, in its original layout, was certainly founded by the Lombards by the early 10th century at the latest. However, considering both the time needed to build such a complex structure and the renown the castle already seemed to have by that date, it’s not far-fetched to date its foundation back to at least the end of the 9th century. As evidence of the key strategic role it played in the defences of the various monarchies that followed one another, the castle, and probably the village too, was for long periods royal or state property, that is, not granted as a fief. Only in 1271 do the Valdemonte family appear as the first feudal lords of Laurino. The castle hosted, for longer or shorter periods, almost all the feudal lords who succeeded one another in Laurino. It began to decline after the Carafa family built the Palazzo Ducale around the middle of the 16th century and, even more so, after 1734, when Charles III, in an attempt to weaken the feudal system, obliged the various feudal lords to live in Naples, rewarding them with important court positions.

THE COLLEGIATA DI SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE

Towering above all the church institutions of the year 1000 was the Collegiata di Santa Maria Maggiore, which dates back to the year 1000 itself and was rebuilt in 1776 in Roman Baroque style. It became famous for the many synods held there, the most important of which took place on 12, 13 and 14 December 1649 under Monsignor Tommaso Carafa. This church, one of the most beautiful in the area, was for many centuries the centre of Christianity for the whole vast state of Laurino.