The origins of San Fele date back to around the year 1000, when Otto I of Saxony ordered the construction of a fortress castle in this area to guard against possible sieges by the Byzantines. Around a century later, the first settlements began to spring up around the castle; the district that developed along the slopes of Monte Castello was renamed 'Rione Costa'.
San Fele hosted Roger II and Pope Honorius II, who signed the first peace agreements here to end the clash between the Normans and the papacy. Over the centuries, the village has seen a succession of different rulers, becoming a fief of the Caracciolo family in 1432 and then the property of the Dorias in the 17th century. The small rural centre is renowned for the existence in its territory of one of the oldest and most mysterious sanctuaries in Basilicata: Santa Maria di Pierno. Near the town, it is possible to visit the San Fele waterfalls, set in a truly beautiful landscape. The waterfalls take their name from "U uattenniere", the dialectal transposition of "gualchiera", a machine used in ancient mills to process wool.
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CASCATE virtual tour
San Fele in the Park
5.2% of its municipal territory, around 514 hectares, falls within the Park. The Bosco Santa Croce woodland stretches around the area of the Santa Maria di Pierno sanctuary, while the Bosco Monte dello Squadro has a wealth of flora and water springs. The area that lies within the park is the one affected by the waterfalls produced by the cascades of the Bradano (or Bradanello) stream, which originates in Matise, and then flows into the Fiumara di Atella and then into the Ofanto. These are all places frequented by otters, which have always lived here. The paths leading to the waterfalls are merely old mule tracks used by the inhabitants of Montagna to reach the village. Nearby, at Serra Manarella, it is possible to see an example of phenomena that have characterised the evolution of the Southern Apennines. The outer flank of the San Fele anticline is the superficial expression of a large geological structure that reaches down to a depth of over 5,000 metres.
