Castel Baronia

The first mention of this town dates back to the second half of the 11th century when a certain Gradilione, nephew of the norman, Roberto di Guiscardo, owned the lands of Vico.Studies have demonstrated that the contents of these tombs proved the presence of inhabitants whose economy was based on agriculture and craftsmanship, influenced by the progressed civilizations of the central Adriatic coastal areas.In 1350, it was destroyed by the bandit Mariotto, ordered by the feudal of Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi and the new Castel Baronia was rebuilt in the area of the sanctuary of S.Maria delle Fratte, where according to tradition a shepherd discovered a byzantine painting representing the Madonna, still today fervently venerated.However, the church of Santo Spirito of the Baroque period with its annexed Franciscan convent within which there is a stunning 16th century cloister surrounded by porticos with rare and precious parietal wall paintings, to be seen for their beauty.Few people know that Castel Baronia invented its own conventional language called "Ciaschino", created by the craftsmen and merchants of buttons and combs made from horns, a craft to which Castellesi were famous.