Castle of Castrocucco of Maratea

CASTROCUCCO , A DIP IN HISTORY

A visit to the Castle of Castrocucco of Maratea, to the discovery the fortified village
(Medium difficulty walking tour)

The name Castrocucco probably derives from the medieval fortified village that rises on a spur at about 120 meters above sea level with a spectacular view of the Maratea Coast and the entire Gulf of Policastro.

the map of Castrocucco in Maratea

Castle of Castrocucco

The Castle of Castrocucco

The site has been under the protection of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage since 2005, but despite this, it is still not sufficiently known or valued.

A pity, because there is still much to see of the old urban system: the remains of the city walls and about twenty buildings are still visible, including a watchtower and the church of San Pietro, inside which crypts with the original paintings are present, still partially visible despite the millennia of erosion by atmospheric agents and salt.

Over the years, the Castle, presumably built around the year 1000, developed as part of an urban system, with the homes of the colonists located outside the city walls.

Probably the Castle, and the surrounding village built initially for defensive purposes in an extremely inaccessible and difficult-to-reach position, was abandoned as the dangers, typically coming from the sea such as Saracen pirates, diminished.

Regarding its origins, nothing is known except that it was incorporated into a fiefdom established in 1470 by King Ferrante, who granted it to a certain Galeotto Pascale, bestowing on him the title of Baron of the Ruined and Abandoned Castle of Castrocucco.

THE BARONIAL PALACE BY THE SEA

The fief, which besides the Castle also included a small baronial palace by the sea and probably also the fertile and water-rich alluvial plain below the hill, passed then to the De Rosa family and subsequently to the Giordano family.

In the second half of the 1600s, the property passed to the Barons Labanchi, with the Castle already in ruins and uninhabited, so they took possession of the nearby baronial palace, built on the cliff above the Secca di Castrocucco and equipped with a miniature natural harbor.

Today, this palace, after several changes of ownership, is still inhabited, and its dock is the site of an exclusive beach resort, one of the most beautiful places along the entire coast of Maratea to take a swim.

In recent years, a spontaneous committee of citizens from Castrocucco has been trying to raise awareness among politicians and fellow citizens about the importance of the fortified village for its valorization, also in terms of tourism and cultural attraction.

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