Palomonte: the village on the rock

Palomonte's historic core occupies a rocky site above the Vonghia stream valley. The surrounding landscape includes woodland and the striking drop of the stream at Forte Pisciolo near Perrazze.

The Church of the Madonna di Sperlonga is one of the area's most important historic sites. It stands beside a cave and is documented from 1040. According to local legend, a shepherd girl dreamed that snow would fall there in August. The complex preserves frescoes associated with Basilian monks, dating from around the eleventh century.

History

A two-level cave complex above the Jazzo stream is linked to early settlement and the remains of a watermill. Some scholars have identified the area with ancient Numistro, associated with a battle between Carthaginian forces and the Roman consul Marcellus. These identifications are historical interpretations rather than settled facts.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the area came under Lombard and then Norman control. The fief later belonged to the Princes of Venosa and the Parisani family. The municipality changed its name from Palo to Palomonte by royal decree in 1862. Brigandage and later emigration marked the following decades.

Monuments and natural sites

• The Church of the Madonna di Sperlonga, with medieval frescoes and carved columns.
• The Grotte della Palomba below the church complex, with ancient ritual features and medieval graffiti.
• The woods of Monte Tre Croci.
• The churches of Santa Maria Annunziata, Santa Croce, Saints Cosmas and Damian, and Madonna delle Grazie.
• The former Franciscan convent, built between 1582 and 1602, with its cloister, and the remains of the Castle of Palo.