Traditions - Comune di Pollica

CELSO
The first historical citation of Celso is found in a document from 1050. The origin
of the village is however much older and is correlated to families from Pollica
taking refuge in the hills to escape from village feuds and arguments. Celso
preserves the ancient urban structure which makes it particularly characteristic,
especially in the areas of San Biase and Valle.
Celso
The Palazzo Baronale Mazziotti (Palace of the Mazziotti Barons) is a national
monument, and it is here that Matteo Mazziotti was born, a member of
Parliament in the 1920s and eminent scholar of the Cilentan Risorgimento
movement.
The church of Celso is dedicated to the Madonna dell’Assunta (Our Lady of
the Assumption). The main door into the church of three naves is on the
façade of local stone decorated with brick cornices. The baptismal font of
1771 in sculptured stone stands out, as does the stone holy water font of
1625. The bell tower,which is very low with respect to the size of the church,
was built in the 18th century.
The Chiesetta di San Giovanni (St. John’s Church), probably built in 1503,
stands on the country road from Celso to Casalvelino. The little church of
the former village Praganito, it was mentioned for the first and only time
in a donation made by Torgisio II Sanseverino to the Abbey of Cava. The
village disappeared probably in the 12th century.
The Convento di Costantinopoli (Constantinople Convent) was built in the
15th century, when refugees from Constantinople, assaulted by Mohammed
II, fled the sacking of their city and wanted to build a place of culture
dedicated to Our Lady. In 1610, Antonio Griso, lord of the area, entrusted
the chapel to the Augustine monks, who founded a convent, but it was
dissolved after about a decade for lack of resources.
Festival
28th July
Festa di San Celso