CASALETTO SPARTANO

Casaletto Spartano lies at some 400 metres above sea level on a small plateau on the wooded slopes of Monte Vallicorvo.
The name originates from “sparto”, a small, graminaceous plant with hard, blade-like leaves, which grows abundantly in the area and which, until the mid 20th century, was widely used locally in the manufacture of baskets and ropes.
The first settlement appeared around the year 1000 in a area known as Spartoso, where the ruins of a group of old buildings can still be seen. According to local tradition, the inhabitants of the original village were forced to abandon their homes when the place was overrun by ants.
Towards the end of the 14th century, Casaletto, which was then part of the Tortorella feud, became the property of the Counts Sanseverino family.
In 1562, both Casaletto Spartano and the nearby village of Battaglia were acquired by the Barons Gallotta - this barony lasted until the early 1800s. In 1810 the two villages were brought together in a single municipality administered from Casaletto Spartano.
The town is well worth a visit, both for its delightful countryside and for its ancient customs and atmosphere of rural genuineness. Typical of the latter are wedding feasts, where the basis of the menu is local ham, accompanied by an abundance of excellent, local wines.
The old town is a maze of narrow, paved, alleyways, with the 12th century church of San Nicola situated in the characteristic, main square at the centre.
The Menta Palace, which hosts a fine collection of traditional and rural artefacts, is also situated on main square.
The Sanctuary of Madonna dei Martiri is also an interesting attraction for the tourist - this shrine is still a centre for local pilgrimages. Items of particular interest are a precious, stone icon, depicting the Madonna del Cammino, the chapel of San Giovanni and the old, Via Pupazzi bridge which used to connect the shrine to the village of Tortorella.
Immediately below the town a footpath leads to the bottom of a deep gorge carved by the river Bussento, where the ruins of several old watermills stand witness to man’s age-old toil.
Another old watermill, recently renovated, is to be found in the nature reserve at the evocative and romantic Capello springs.