Hegumens and Toys
Location of the “International Festival of Traditional Toy”, this village was the “pantry” of the powerful Hegumens of the abbeys of Cuccaro, Eremiti, San Mauro La Bruca, San Nazario, Abatemarco and Montano Antilia. At the time of the Basilian Monks, in fact, commerces flourished there: foodstuffs, such as oil, wine, figs, chestnuts; handicrafts, such as papier-mâché parchments, linen articles and many others.
The town was built in a very favourable position for trade, along a very important arterial road: the Salt Route (Via del Sale), which reached the abbeys of San Nazario and Cuccaro Vetere from Policastro. The route was also well known by the Arabs, who followed it to carry out their raids, until the arrival of the Normans, who organized a protection system.
The name of the town clearly derives from the medieval French Manse en celle: manse is a typical expression of the Lorraine region and indicates a rural house with its surrounding field, en celle designates what belongs to the same property. The Mansi then became the six early historic hamlets of the village. In modern times two others hamlets were added up.
Worthy to visit the Church of Santa Maria Lauretana, dedicated to St. Irene (Greek saint), dating back to 1478 and partly dispossessed by Napoleonic troops. Also, the places of capital executions of libertarians protagonists of the Revolution of 1828 (“Moti del Cilento del 1828”).
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