Castel San Lorenzo

• Museo della civiltà contadina e dell’artigianato locale is very interesting, too: it is dedicated to rural life and handicraft: it describes the habits of the ancient local population, through tools and objects of everyday life. The aim of this museum is making younger people know their past and the ancient traditions
  Castle, built between 1272 and 1337
  SS. Cosma e Damiano Church, built between 1700 and 1750, there are paintings by Neapolitan painters of 1700. There is only a nave, the main altar is made of marble (it was built thanks to the inhabitants of Castel San Lorenzo that lived in New York), along the walls of the nave there are four other altars
  San Giovanni Battista Church, built in 1100. The style is Romanic, there is only a nave, the design is of a Latin cross, with columns surmounted by Corinthian capitals. In the church there is a big painting portraying San Pietro in Vinculis freed by an angel, it was in the ancient picture-gallery of Prince Carafa
  Santa Maria del Monte Church, in a niche on the main altar there is a statue similar to that kept in Monte di Novi Velia Sanctuary on the Gelbison. There is only a nave; the altars are dedicated to Annunziata and San Biagio
  Madonna della Stella Church, built in 1100. It is open to the public on August, the 15th on the day of the Feast of the Assumption. On the altar there is a niche with an ancient statue of Our Lady (Santa Maria ad Nives) with the Holy Child and a pomegranate in her right hand
  Villa Carafa, called “Vigna della Corte”, it was probably built at the end of XVI century. The villa has two floors, and has a square shape with four circular towers. Inside there is a courtyard, the facade is decorated with elements of XIX century. There is also a rich picture-gallery, that was the most important in the province of Salerno
  

Castel San Lorenzo ha Longobard origins. It developed around San Lorenzo de Strictus monastery, already existing in 1144. This monastery included many lands, in which there were three hamlets: San Clerico (then called San Chirico), Monte di Palma and San Lorenzo de Strictus. Guaimario di Capaccio founded the monastery. Castel San Lorenzo belonged to Tancredi di Altavilla ruler of Sanctum Laurentium and Castellum Laurenti. Thanks to a parchment we know that in 1166 Guglielmo, bishop of Troy, sold to Graziano Leone the wood in the territory of San Lorenzo.

Castel San Lorenzo is mentioned also in the Bull by Celestino III (1191) addressed to the monks of San Lorenzo de Stricta. In this bull the Pope gave to the monastery some lands and properties. Pope Nicola V confirmed this decision in 1454. During the reign of Federico II, the families that depended from S. Lorenzo de Strictu abbey were employed for the maintenance of Capaccio castle. Then, as a result of the emperor’s decision, the abbot lost his authority on the vassals, and then he obtained it again thanks to Carlo I d’Angiò.

Carlo II donated in 1299 to Giovanni Pipino a half of Castel San Lorenzo, the other half returned to the monastery. The abbots kept their authority until 1497 when Federico deprived them of it because they had rendered homage to Carlo VIII. The territory was sold to Antonio Carafa, prince Stigliano.

On the 14th September 1554 Gerolamo Carafa, ruler of Felitto and Monteforte, became the prince of Castel San Lorenzo. He married Arrighetta Sanseverino, the feud passed then to their son, Giannantonio, duke of Laurino, then to his son Geronimo, duke of Laurino, in 1610, to his grandson Alvaro then to Luigi, in 1785. The last exponent of the family was Francesco Paolo (1900), who died in Naples in 1913 having no heirs.