TORRE ORSAIA

Surrounded by olive groves, the town of Torre Orsaia is situated at 280 metres above sea level in the hinterland behind the Gulf of Policastro.
As was the case with nearby Castelruggero, the settlement was founded as a Norman stronghold during the 12th century and its name probably derives from Turris Pulsaria, an old Norman defense tower which subsequently destroyed.
The above tower is commemorated in a coat of arms on a plaque on the wall of the bell tower which stands in the mains square of the town to the left of the church of San Lorenzo Martire. Erected during the 13th century, both the bell tower and the church assumed their present form during the 16th century
A beautifully crafted, 16th century fountain can be seen in the main square and a short distance away, on the town’s main road, stand the church of the Immacolata.
The settlement grew rapidly during the 13th century when the Princes of Salerno donated it and the surrounding territory to the see of the bishop of Poilcastro. The diocesan administration built a seminary there and the local peoples from countryside were encouraged to settle around the village with the donation of small plots of land. The seminary was closed in 1785.
Subsequently, Torre Orasia became part of the County of Poilcastro and followed its alternating fortunes.
Today the town is the centre of many important cultural activities and the seat of the Bussento Mountain Community and the Popular University.