Futani
Futani takes its name from the Greek word futon, which means forest, because of the lush countryside that surrounds the town. We know very little about Futani's ancient history; the first records date back from 1270 when it was mentioned in an ancient document as one of the estates under the jurisdiction of neighbouring Cuccare Vetere. Futani was spared the terrible plague epidemic of 1656 that raged across entire Cilento region and local people soon believed that this was due to a miraculous intervention of Saint Mark. The citizens of Futani demonstrated their gratitude by building the church of San Marco Evangelista which was declared parish church in 1856 and has since been restored many times by the municipality of the town. Another church, the Madonna del Rosario, contains an altar made from many types of marble. In the nearby valley of the River Sacrato pilgrims used to stop and purify themselves before climbing the sacred Mount Gelbison. Futani also includes the two suburbs: Eremiti and Castinatelli.
