The best walks and hikes around San Valentino Torio

A beautiful panoramic point ideal for a short break

Torre Gatto – The Sentinel of Mystery Among the ruins hidden by the vegetation stands the Torre Gatto, an ancient bastion of uncertain origin, shrouded in silence and legend. According to popular tradition, the tower was guarded by a giant black cat, guardian spirit of the forest, who appeared only to those who disturbed the peace of the place. Other stories tell that the tower was an observatory of monks, or a Lombard watchtower, placed to guard the paths towards the valley. Today only a part of its walls remains, but the atmosphere is intact: a fascinating point where history and nature intertwine in the silence of time.

A pedestal, seemingly oversized compared to the size of the actual cross, forms the base for this small sacred monument. The stone base is divided horizontally into several levels, the third of which tapers towards the top. Above it stands the cross, whose crossbeam—in contrast to the longitudinal beam—is provided with a series of holes, the bottom of which, however, is not visible to the observer.

Very funny.single track

The castle has an ancient and troubled history, about 1300 years long. In the 6th century the Longobards, coming from Benevento, settled in the area and less than a century later the castle was built, of which today only a few run-down ruins remain. As per practice in the Middle Ages, the first inhabited nucleus developed around the fortress, what is now known as Borgo San Matteo. In the following centuries the castle hosted King Manfredi of Swabia several times, who was buried there together with his son after having lost his life during the battle of Tagliacozzo. Later the castle passed into the hands of the Angevins and the County of Sarno ended up under the control of the Kingdom of Naples. In the 15th century, before passing to the Aragonese, the castle was occupied by the Orsini family, to whom we owe the building of the Bear Tower, still visible today. In these years the castle was the scene of the famous conspiracy of the barons and the Torre dell'Orso proved to be decisive for the fate of the battle of Sarno. The history of the Sarno fortress ends in the 17th century: in 1647 it was destroyed during the repressive actions against the revolts triggered by Masaniello. Also for this reason today the fortress is a set of almost unrecognizable ruins, which emerge scattered here and there in the mountain vegetation, where the central body of the castle is more intact and still viable, albeit with great attention and effort.

A substantial expansion on the east side of the castle probably dates back to the Aragonese period, i.e. the detached structure of the so-called Orsina tower because it was built by Daniele Orsini, count from 1460 to 1480. Located at a distance of about 100 meters outside the wall circuit, the structure covered a notable strategic importance in the defense of the castle on the north-east side. The tower, divided into four vaulted floors and connected by a staircase carved into the thickness of the wall, has a circular internal shape. The structure suffered considerable damage during the Second World War, following the earthquake of November 1980 and due to a strong wind it suffered another collapse in 1997.

The small sanctuary of the Madonna del Carmine al Castello stands on the Saretto hill overlooking the city of Sarno. It is very small but dear to the devotion of the Sarnese faithful. Due to its high position it is visible from all of the Agro Sarnese - Nocerino and arouses in those who observe it, even from a distance, the desire to visit it. It was originally dedicated to Saints Cosma and Damiano. It dates back to the period when the town was located on the hill. The news about this little church dates back to the Acts of the Holy Visit of the Bishop of Sarno, Paolo Fusco, of 1581: in them we read that the zealous Bishop, not being able to access the church due to a thick bush and lack of a path, he ascertained from the Tower of the Castle that the church was abandoned and declared it deconsecrated. A century after the visit of Bishop Fusco, around 1700, out of devotion to Francesco Antonio Corrado, the church rose again larger and more beautiful, thanks to his constant interest

Perhaps the first foundation of the church of San Martino dates back to the early Middle Ages or more likely to the Norman period as suggested by the dedication to the transalpine saint. It was already recorded in the fiscal sources of the fourteenth century and around the sixteenth century the bishops in some correspondence describe it already in a deplorable state. Following the washouts of volcanic materials that had deposited on the slope following the eruption of 1631, the church suffered considerable damage such as to be rebuilt between the end of that century and during the first years of the following century. The definitive abandonment and deterioration of the structure are unfortunately part of the sad history of the twentieth century.