Forenza

Forenza - Forenza is an ancient medieval village that stands on the top of a hill on Monte Vulture. The first documents of Forenza date back to the year 1000, it was a fortified town, surrounded by walls with four access gates, of which only one remains today: Porta San Pietro. History is one of the strong points of tourist attraction. Going through the streets of the village we can find elements from different eras, stone portals surmounted by noble coats of arms, remains of the Angevin walls, towers and churches.

The church of San Nicola and Maria Santissima, is the seat of the only town parish, inside it is possible to admire the silver bust of Sant'Antonio. A stone's throw from the ancient walls stands the sanctuary dedicated to Santa Maria della Stella and the Holy Crucifix, it was built in the seventeenth century and has three naves, inside we find works of art of great value, the most important is the statue of the Santissimo Crocifisso, the work of a friar who took care of the details in an impressive way, the main feature is that if you look at the statue from three different angles it shows three different faces: one smiling, one suffering and one dying. In via Roma we find the Casa Contadina, managed by the local Pro Loco, which reconstructs the domestic environment of rural communities, a testimony that allows the younger generations to keep the memory of the past alive. The ruins of the church and monastery of Santa Maria degli armeni represent the reference point that leads us to the palmenti, containers dug into the tuff used to press the grapes, these are the oldest traces of a millenary tradition that today has been able to make treasure of the riches of the territory becoming an important point of the local economy. This land gives a great production of cereals and generates excellences that can be tasted in the companies of the area. Forenza has a rich calendar of events that bring music, vitality and culture to the streets; the most important event is the re-enactment of the legend of the Templars which takes place on August 16, with a parade that includes some stops where the history of the Templars is staged. A visit to Forenza is a real leap into the past.