The Municipalities of Cilento

This old town lies on the slopes of the massive Monte Bulgheria, the thanks to its size and inaccessibility has protected the local people from ransack and destruction. Possibly, the mountain was names Bulgheria because a colony of Bulgarians settled here in Cilento around 670 AD The town developed around a monastery the Basilian monks founded here in 990 AD, the Abbazia di S. Giovanni Battista protected by a massive 20 meter tall battlement tower. For extra security, the Monastery and the tower are connected, by a long underground corridor, to a secret cave deep in the eastern side Mount Bulgheria. In the town are many historical buildings, such as the Churches of San Pietro and San Gaetano da Thiene, and the 17th century Sanctuary of Pietrasanta.