Land and freedom
Magnificent terrace overlooking the Gulf of Policastro from the slopes of Mount Bulgheria, the “Bosco de li Casali” — “Wood of the rural homes”, this is its ancient name, is a fascinating village rich in history.
Like the nearby village of San Giovanni a Piro, it was founded in the early Middle Ages by the Basilian monks. Their Abbey, the Coenobium of Saint Nicholas, was its social and economic centre.
It stood in an unassailable position, and for more than 500 years it was not dependent on any diocese: it was an autonomous jurisdiction.
Like Camerota and other Cilento towns, in the 16th century it was attacked by the pirates of Dragut and razed to the ground.
In the 19th century, it was the scene of one of the most bloody repressions, carried out by Bourbon General Del Carretto to extinguish the libertarian uprisings of 1828. His order was to destroy completely the town, and do not allow to anyone to rebuild it.
The great Spanish painter and sculptor José Ortega, friend and pupil of Pablo Picasso, also politically persecuted by the Franco regime, chose Bosco as his place of residence, and gave the town a series of splendid majolicas, bearing the story of the 1828 massacre that razed it to the ground.
His house is now a museum, a wonderful example of a unique excursion off the beaten paths in Cilento.
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