Policastro vacanze

" Policastro Bussentino is a veritable jewel of Santa Marina and its attraction irresistible. This land, whose history was shaped by the Oenotrians, Greeks and Romans and whose alleys are filled with the spirit of the Byzantines, Arabs and Normans, finds its way into the hearts of our everyday lives. The hillsides that slope gently from Santa Marina towards the coast, frame the ancient borough of Policastro in a setting of colours that is as rare as it is wonderful."
Felice Cesarino

The name Policastro Bussentino derives from Buxentum, a Roman colony founded in 194 B.C. at the mouth of the River Bussento over a former Greek colony known as Pixous or Pixunte dating to 471 B.C.
Buxentum or Pixous have the same meaning: Bosso, derives from an evergreen tree that grew in the area of Policastro at the time it was founded. The town was destroyed and reconstructed ten times, and became Policastro in the Middle Ages when strong walls were built around the town to protect it. Later the town was to become the refuge of the soldiers of Garibaldi's army.
All that remais of the glorious and rich historical past of ancient Pixous are the ruins of a wall, a Roman road and the suggestive castle, built in 1397, that towers over the summit of its memorable past reminding us of the populations and history of the times gone

The Cathedral and the ancient bell tower rise imposingly over heart of the town centre. The Cathedral, which was declared a national monument in 1925, displays its artistic force in a combination of ancient materials used to reface it and which frame the rich internal decorations (the ceiling, the nave, the majolica) creating an extremely suggestive visual impact of colours and contrasts. The suggestive and sober VIth century crypt contains a Piety of the Sienese School and an altar antependium in a setting of impressive ancient columns.

The millenary Bussento River sparkles like a gemstone in the many-coloured and varied landscape. This land of uncontaminated nature is the ideal place to regenerate the spirit and enjoy walks in the country, bicycle or horse rides, and even canoeing.
The beaches along the coast are mixed and sandy beaches alternate with pebbly and rocky beaches opening to the suggestive sight of picturesque fishing boats coming home from sea. An old, hard trade full of lobster pots and nets and boats with the names of fishermen's patron saints. The procession of boats coming back to the port and the life of the people who earn their living from the sea give life to folkloristic and religious traditions of the past as well as excellent catches which appear in many of the typical specialities of the area.