Caposele: the source of the Sele River

Caposele takes its name from the springs of the Sele, the river that shapes the valley below. The springs rise near Monte Paflagone. Much of their water is channelled into the Apulian aqueduct, while part continues along the river. Caposele also lies within the Monti Picentini Regional Park, with extensive woodland and mountain scenery.

The other major destination is the Sanctuary of Materdomini, a pilgrimage site associated with Saint Gerard Majella. The complex combines an older basilica with the modern Church of the Redeemer. The 1980 earthquake destroyed much of Caposele's historic built fabric, so the present town also tells a story of reconstruction.

History

The Latin name Caput Sylaris refers to the headwaters of the Sele. Some traditions associate the area with the final battle between Rome and Spartacus, though the precise site is debated. The earliest certain references to the fief date to the Norman period in the twelfth century. The town prospered in the fifteenth century, then suffered from seventeenth-century epidemics.

Construction of the Apulian aqueduct in the early twentieth century profoundly changed the territory. After earlier earthquake damage in 1853, the town was devastated again in 1980 and received a gold medal for civil merit in recognition of its response.

What to see

• The Sanctuary of Saint Gerard Majella and the Gerardine Museum, with objects linked to the saint.
• The rebuilt Church of San Lorenzo, a modern building whose design evokes the underground aqueduct and flowing water.
• The Sele springs and the aqueduct gallery, subject to current access arrangements.
• The Water Museum, on the history of the aqueduct, and a museum with reproductions of Leonardo da Vinci's machines.