Laurito is situated at the feet of Fulgenti mount (1006 m) in the high part of Mingardo River valley. The town is surrounded by secular olive trees. The vegetation is variegated, made of Mediterranean bush of the hills, olive trees, chestnut groves and beeches on the mountain.
The ancient part of the town is made of charming narrow streets of Middle Ages origin, maybe built during Longobard domination.
San Filippo D’Agira church, built in XII century, has wonderful frescoes of 1400 and statues of the Saints. There is also a pipe organ of 1700 and an altar-piece portraying Saint Raphael.
Madonna del Cielo feast is very nice (September), it takes place near the homonymous church.
Monuments and natural beauties...
- San Filippo D’Agira Church, built in XII century, has wonderful frescoes of 1400 and statues of the Saints. There is also a pipe organ of 1700 and an altar-piece portraying Saint Raphael. These frescoes decorate the walls and the ceiling. The painting portraying the Nativity is really interesting: on the higher part there is the annunciation to shepherds (there is an angel, a shepherd and his sheep), in the middle there is the scene of the birth of Jesus (at the back of the cave there are the three kings). In the lower part there is an episode told by apocryphal evangels: the Virgin is helped in the moment of the birth of her Holy Child by two midwives, Salome and Mea that wash the Child
San Giovanni Battista Church
Madonna del Carmine Church, founded in 1618
Santa Maria Church
San Domenico Church, built in XVIII century
Madonna del Cielo Church. It is a typical country church
Palazzo Speranza, with a rich stone portal. The central cloister contains a pit
Mills
Creste Itinerary, from Fulgenti plain (1006 mt) to Tempa della Castagna (1360 mt) plain. It is a very charming itinerary where traces of wild boars, foxes can be found and the flights of hawks can be seen. Here nature is really beautiful, sometimes wild, with the colours of its wonderful flowers
Cime Itinerary, a difficult itinerary made of climbs and descents from Antilia mount (1316 mt), through Tempa del Ciglio (1339 mt), Campanaro Giungoli (1448 mt), till the end on Rotonda Mount (1486 mt), the highest mountain of the town
History...
This town was maybe founded in X century, by Greek-Byzantine colonisers that moved to the right side of Utria stream, and then to the area where the modern town is: it is the area called San Filippo, that together with Lammardo (from Lambardo, a Longobard term) is the most ancient part of the town.
The most ancient document about Laurito, of 947, shows that around year 1000 Laurito was a castrum, that is a castle. It was used as a military defence against Saracens invasions and destructions.
The town was also mentioned in the Angevin records because of some negotiations that prince Carlo had with king Giacomo d’Aragona.
Laurito barony was ruled by many barons.
Video
Weather forecast
