Casal Velino is the old fortified mountain town for Casal Velino Marina (the beach town). When pirates came the residents would light fires on towers along the shoreline to warn the next town. Very quickly a hundred miles could be warned. Residents of the marina would then flee with their possessions to their mountain town.
Today Casal Velino Marina is a summer resort with great beaches but Casal Velino is a sleepy mountain town. This town is worth a stop and can easily be reached by car. There is parking in the town. In the parking lot is a bar. You can relax here inside or outside with a coffee, wine or beer and something to eat. From the main road, Via Roma which turns into Via Lippi, you can walk to an old church on off a small piazza. from here you can walk down into a residential area with gardens. You can go all the way down to Via Circumvallazione. Turn left and it will bring you back up to Via Lippi.
From the corner of Via Lippi and Piazza 23 Luglio there is a small street up a set of stairs called Via Giordano. This leads you into an old area of this city. It is residential. The roads are very narrow. Some are pedestrian only and others can be driven on by small cars.
You can follow this all the way to the end of town. We met older lady that lived here all her life. She was concerned that so many of her neighbors were selling their homes.
As we walked along this ancient road, we thought about the old times and the current times. We met several residents. We saw an old structure with an old set of stairs that were overgrown with weeds and grass.
This city will take you back in time.
From the main road and parking area, there are wonderful views down to the sea and Casal Velino Marina.
Tomorrow we will visit Castelnuovo Cilento, another small mountain town with its castle.
George & Jo Anne
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