Spinoso.
This village, as all the others in this area, was
originated by the destruction of Grumentum, between
the IX and the X centuries. The refugees found shelter
on the mountainsides of the ‘Monte Raparo’,
where some shepherds and some farmers coming from
‘Carro Nuovo’, a very old rural centre,
had already moved. Here the two communities merged
together creating the first village, called ‘Spinoso’.
Since the XII century it was dominated by several
feudal lords up to the Spinelli Marquis.
The streets of this village are rich with palaces
of the XVI and XVII centuries, with stone portals.
Amongst the most beautiful, there are ‘Palazzo
Caltieri’, ‘Palazzo Infantino’,
‘Palazzo Romano’, ‘Palazzo Spolidoro’
and ‘Palazzo Viceconte’. The Church of
Santa Maria Assunta, built in 1593, is very beautiful.
Not far from the village there is the Pertusillo
Lake, an artificial dam that allows the irrigation
of the fields and the production of electricity.
