Centola

Centola is a town in the Cilento National Park with a fascinating history. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476, the barbarian tribe of the Ostrogoths occupied much of Italy. The emperor Justignano of the East, who remained the only master of the Roman Empire in Molpa, sent General Belisarius to Italy to defeat the barbarians, so with the aim of freeing the city the general had it destroyed and sacked. The hundred survivors fled to the hills and took refuge under the mountain of fountains. Once the new town was built, it is from there that the city of Centola originates. To make up the city of Centola there are also the hamlets of Palinuro, San Nicola, San Severino and Forìa. The hamlet of Palinuro is above all known for its beaches and caves. Being one of the most sought-after tourist resorts in Salento there are several restaurants, discos and meeting places for the youngest and not only. The Polinuro Antiquarium is the building that houses the small museum, where numerous archaeological finds are collected. Palinuro was an important cinematographic location. Films such as 1985 Summer Vacation and 1981 Clash of the Titans and many others have been shot. The old town of San Severino is an abandoned medieval village, located on a very high hill, it keeps track of various historical periods up to the twentieth century, still preserves the ruins of a church and a castle. The farmhouse, of which there is still traces, overlooks the Mingardo river. The village was known for its important defensive system, in fact the two overhangs from which the castle overlooks made it inaccessible. Typical dishes of the area are menaica anchovies, cacioricotta, white figs and many others.