The village stands on a hill from which it dominates the entire Agri valley, so much so that it is defined as the “sentinel of the Val d’Agri”. Built around the monastery of the Basilian monks of Santa Maria di Cironofrio, it was an ancient Basilian centre, which belonged to the Abbey of Santa Maria di Cersosimo.
The Castle, of which few ruins remain today, dates back to the 13th century and was the home of numerous feudal lords who have succeeded in the history of the town: from the Sanseverino to the Poderico, from the Pignatelli to the Carafa, up to the Donnaperna.
In the inhabited centre we can see the Church of San Nicola founded in 1300 and the sixteenth century Church of Sant’Antonio with an annexed former convent.
The small village owes its fame to past superstitions that defined it as the “land of bad luck”, a name that the inhabitants have now been able to take advantage of with the organisation and staging of the successful summer event “Sogno di una notte a quel paese”, which exorcises and plays in a self-ironic way on this unfortunate reputation by proposing, among other attractions, amulets and propitiatory rites.
