GIOI CILENTO AND THE “SOPPRESSATA”

• San Nicola Church, built in XIV century, with three naves and a marble altar
  Madonna della Porta Chapel, a Roman building, in the apse there are important paintings of 1200
  Sant’Eustachio Church, built in XIV century, with two naves, there is a XVIII century organ by Carelli and precious paintings by Mario Romano, on the main nave and on the ceiling of the side nave
  San Francesco Monastery is very interesting, it was inaugurated on 12th October 1466 and has a wonderful view on Valle d’Alento
  Porta dei Leoni or Porta Nuova, at the base there are two lions and a lion cub that support two stone columns. In the past on the two columns there was an architrave
  San Giovanni Battista Church
  Ruins of San Salvatore chapel, destroyed in 1500 by Saracens
  Middle Ages bridge
  Madonna del Carmine Chapel with a XVIII century fresco
  Ruins of the castle where a garden was built
  Santa Maria delle Grazie Chapel
  Palazzo Reielli, Conti, Ianniti, De Marco-Salati and Ferri
  Le chiaie
  The walls
  Baronial palace with oil press
  Water-mills

According to historians, the name Gioi comes from the Latin word "iugum", that is yoke, because of the shape of the town on the hill. Another hypothesis says that the word comes from the adjective “Iovius”, from Jupiter to whom the rock of the town was dedicated.
Between VIII and X century, on a mountain between Gioi and Cardile there was a "basilian laura" founded by Italian - Greek monks. This place is still called "Laura".
Maybe the town developed around a Longobard fortress in VII century. Gioi became famous during Norman period when it became the third fortified town of Rocca di Novi.
The town wasn't involved in the destructions made by Vespro war. It was then ruled by Aragons.
In 1500 Gioi became an important cultural town where there were seven parishes and two monasteries.
During XVI century some hamlets disappeared as a consequence of Saracen invasions. The inhabitants of these hamlets escaped and founded a new village: Cardile.
In 1552 the barony was divided in many small feuds governed by different barons.
In the first years of XIX century the inhabitants of Gioi took part to Risorgimento: Alessandro, Davide and Licurgo Riccio from Cardile were the most famous participants of Gioi to the rebellion of 1828. They were killed and their heads were put in iron cages and exposed in the main square of Cardile.
In 1848 Cardile organized a rebellion led by Contabile Carducci, against Bourbon family.