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| «Brief history» |
Saint
Costabile Gentilcore is the most important person
of the history of Castellabate. He was the IVth abbot of Cava
de’ Tirreni, but born in Tresino (part of the today’s
community of Castellabate). The 10th October 1123 he became
abbot and the same year he started to build a castle in this
area 278 m above the sea to watch out for attacks of Saracens
and other enemies. Hence the name CASTRUM (castle) ABBATIS(abbot),
becoming later Castellabate.
Simeone, the following abbot, completed the construction of
the castle and during the years he always helped the population;
Castellabate became slowly the most important area in Cilento.
In 1553 the lawyer Marino Freccia bought Castellabate. After
years he sold the property to Carlo Caracciolo. Then Castellabate
was property of the Loffredo family; followed by the Filomarino
family, the Earl of Rocca d’Aspide. In 1619 Francesco
Matarazzo, son and heir of Alessandro and Tommaso Filomarino
della Rocca got permission to sell the castle and further
property. Castellabate became property of the Granito family,
which got the title of ‘marquis’ the 29th November
1745. The 20th July 1767, due to heritage, the property passed
to Angelo and then to his son Luigi. As Luigi didn’t
have children the castle and property passed to his nephew
and then to his nephew’s son Angelo(21.10.1782 –
29.06.1861).
Angelo married Paolina Pignatelli, princess of Belmonte. Later
their son Gioacchino (02.11.1849) became prince of Belmonte
(03.04.1887).
Slowly the population of Castellabate regained the control
of the sea. People added fishing to farmer activity. At the
end of XIXth century fishing was the principal source of economy.
At the same time other activities grew in Castellabate, for
instance in Santa Maria ship- building and preservation and
diffusion of fish on the whole national market. Today, the
community of Castellabate has around 7000 inhabitants, and
even if the tourism is growing, the culture and the people
remain the same… |
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| Castellabate: Roman church, sec. XII
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