Terra di Elea Agriturismo

Piano Vetrale (murals’ town)

Along the provincial road 237, four kilometres from Orria, you will find Piano Vetrale a typical inland Cilento town.
A multitude of alleys, often connected by long arches, goes through the town. A very characteristic place that, until the early1960s, consisted of two distinct villages: Vetrale and Piano, each with its own school, church and post office.
The boundary between the two villages was, until the 1960s,”Vallone di Sabato", impassable even in occasion of the Saint Protectors’ processions. 

Almost a town’s symbol, built in 1760, is the old fountain, where only the water flowing modifies a motionless scenario.
In Vetrale, don’t miss a visit to the Church of St. Elijah the Prophet, the patron saint of fire, rain and drought, celebrated on the first Sunday following July 20. 
The church, founded around the year 1000 by Basilian monks, was originally dedicated to Saint Blaise, and only under the Benedictine territorial abbey (Badia di Cava) was consecrated to Saint Elijah. In antiquity this was a place of worship for three hamlets: Piano, Vetrale and Aria, the latter abandoned during the middle ages. The church is located a few meters away from the cemetery and has recently undergone a long and careful restoration work. 

In Piano there are the chapel of Saint Antony and the church of Saint Sophia, founded, according to tradition, in 1453 by Dionisio Mazza aka “il Greco”, a refugee from Constantinople.

The building has also a Bell Tower, one of the highest in Cilento; it has just been renovated and, today, you can admire it in all its architectural beauty. 
All people from Piano Vetrale still remember, with great emphasis, the date 21st February 1951 when, in località Tempa dell’ Arenola, Our Lady appeared to devotes.
This place became soon a pilgrimage destination for thousands of faithful from everywhere. Today, a small temple is under construction.

Piano Vetrale is known as the Murals’ Town: huge and beautiful paintings adorn the façades of almost all the houses. They are painted on the walls of public and private buildings, often cooperation between several artists.

Works by Italian and foreign artists: (P. Crisanti, M. Giglio, M. Trotta, T. Luè, A. Suriano, Denaro, M. Verrone, R. Vairo, L. Sceral, G. Julien, La Torre, G. Serpe, T. Esposito, A. Calabresi, M. Cilione, A. Loffredo, T. Inverso, R. Di Marino) the subjects vary from fairy-tale characters to the signs of the Zodiac, to scenes inspired by folk traditions: a striking feature that makes Piano Vetrale an "open-air museum".

Don’t miss the important event “Pennello d’oro” ("Golden Brush"), a contemporary art exhibition arranged by the local Pro Loco, in honour of the great Neapolitan painter of 1600s, Paolo De Matteis . In the town centre, in Paolucci Street well-preserved is the house where he was born on February 9th 1662.