Centola, Italian comune
Centola is a small town in Salerno Province along the Campania coast with a complex structure of historic cores and modern extensions. Streets wind through stone buildings on hilly terrain, while the landscape features olive groves and vineyards with dramatic coastal cliffs nearby offering coves and small beaches.
The original settlement of Molpa was destroyed when Byzantines under Justinian expelled Ostrogoths in the 6th century, after which survivors relocated to Vallone and founded Centula. Over centuries, Longobards, Normans, Swabians, and later various South Italian dynasties ruled the town, each shaping local development.
The name Centola may derive from an old land measurement unit, reflecting the area's historical roots. Locals preserve traditions such as the annual April 18 celebration of patron saint Apollonius and a Nativity scene event in nearby San Severino ruins, showing the community's living cultural practices.
Access is via a network of local roads with train connections through Palinuro and Pisciotta stations, regular buses link the villages. Narrow cobbled streets require comfortable shoes, and boats from Palinuro's port provide access to coastal caves and remote coves.
The Grotta Azzurra and Grotta del Lago near Capo Palinuro are underground wonders with luminous blue waters and complex mineral structures explored by experienced divers. The remote ruined village of San Severino shows how abandoned places are reclaimed by nature, with collapsing walls and vegetation where residents once lived.
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