Casalsottano between Archive, Palazzo and Carnival

Orientation in Casalsottano

The visitor center of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park for San Mauro del Cilento is located near the primary school in Casalsottano. Palazzo dei Principi Paleologo di Bisanzio stands at Via Cappella 27 in Casalsottano. The palazzo represents the Greek-Byzantine roots of San Mauro del Cilento. The connection between Casalsottano and San Mauro del Cilento therefore already shapes the introduction to the town’s cultural and historical themes.

Museo Eleousa: Archive and Library

In the lower section of the parish church of San Mauro Cilento, the Museo „Eleousa“ houses an archive and a library on the socio-religious history of the old Cilento. The Museo Eleousa’s historical diplomatic archive preserves manuscripts from the 16th to the 19th century. The library contains around 400 printed volumes dating from the late 15th to the 19th century. The oldest printed works therefore date back further than the archive’s manuscripts, although both collections extend into the 19th century. The Museo thus brings together handwritten manuscripts and printed volumes with different historical starting points.

Palazzo Paleologo and A MASCHKARATA

The Palazzo Paleologo complex preserves materials, costumes, masks and other accessories from the old Carnival of San Mauro Cilento. The old Carnival of San Mauro Cilento, „A MASCHKARATA“, consists of interconnected scenes from popular theater that recall the Commedia dell’arte. It normally takes place on the last Sunday of the Carnival season and on Shrove Tuesday. The preserved objects belong to this tradition and stand alongside its distinctive form as interconnected popular theater. For travel planning, the focus for A MASCHKARATA is therefore on these two dates.

Religious Connection: Chapel dell’Addolorata

The Chapel dell’Addolorata in the cemetery of San Mauro Cilento is a destination for pilgrimages for religious and penitential reasons. The Museo is located in the lower section of the parish church, while the chapel is in the cemetery of San Mauro Cilento. The chapel is therefore not at the Museo’s location, but at a separate site within San Mauro Cilento. Its religious and penitential character distinguishes it from the Museo’s archive and library collection.

Visiting Arrangements for the Museo and Palazzo

Visits to the Museo Eleousa are available by appointment on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Guided visits to the Palazzo dei Principi Paleologo di Bisanzio are organized on request for either the morning or the afternoon. For the Museo, the appointment therefore concerns five days of the week; for the Palazzo, visitors choose between two times of day. Anyone wishing to visit the Museo Eleousa and Palazzo dei Principi Paleologo di Bisanzio on the same day should consider these different visiting arrangements separately.

Discover More Destinations

Further destinations for your travel planning include Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino, Calvanico, Monte San Giacomo, Capaccio, Erchie, Pellezzano, Laviano and Contursi.

To the overarching travel overview: Salerno.