THE CELLARS

Informations

The area of the territory surrounding the Sanità bell tower upstream was historically called “Catapano” (from the Greek κατά (katà) and ἐπάνος (epànos), meaning “that which is above”). This designation can be traced back to one of the two established hypotheses regarding the origins of Caposele, which, based on the Greek etymology of the name Paflagone (the mountain from which the Sele River originates), supports the thesis that some colonists from Posidonia, ascending the river, settled in the most suitable place for their establishment, assigning names to the various natural features observed. Today, it is known as the “Saure area” and represents the part of the territory that has best preserved the ancient core of “Cap’r’iumu” (Head of the river), the first area that can be defined as an organized “neighborhood” by the Caposele community. Over time, this area has been enriched with history and new functions with the construction of cellars appropriately carved into the rock, wonderful containers where many local products (wine, cured meats, cheeses) were preserved for years, and where some (unfortunately not many) artisanal machines and ancient containers used for production and preservation can still be found.