SANTA MARINA

Santa Marina is located in the Tampone hills at around 400 metres above sea level, a short distance from the coastal town of Policastro.
It was built some time during the 10th century by the inhabitants of Policastro, as a refuge both from marauding Saracen pirates and from the malaria-carrying mosquitoes which infested the area around the mouth of the river Bussento.
Defense is said to be the reason for the particularly compact layout of this town. A maze of narrow, winding streets, flights of steps and closely built houses with strategically placed observation windows, was, apparently, the answer to the local feudal overlord’s prohibiting the construction of walls around the settlement.
Characteristic of the town are the supporting arches spanning the narrow alleyways between buildings. One such arch, the Rà Reggio, near the church of the Holy Vergin, dates from the time of the Vespro wars (11282 –1302).
At the entrance to the town is the little 17th century church of Santo Croce (the Holy Cross). Nearby, a terrace offers an unrivalled view of the Gulf of Policastro.