Rocca Cilento - fraz. di Lustra

Findings of masonry structures and ceramic fragments dating back to the 4th–3rd centuries B.C. attest to Lustra’s ancient origins. Rocca Cilento, now a hamlet of the municipality, played a key role in local history: its castle, once the seat of the Baronia del Cilento, served as the political and military center of the area.During the War of the Vespers (1282–1302), fought between the Angevins and the Aragonese, the castle of Rocca Cilento held strategic importance in the struggle for control over Sicily and southern Italy.Points of interest include the Convent of San Francesco, founded by Saint Bernardino of Siena in 1427 and decorated with frescoes about his life; the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, documented since 1583; and the Church of Santa Maria Vetere—now part of the cemetery complex—which dates back to the 14th century and is tied to a Marian legend.Of particular value is the bell tower of Santa Maria Vetere, a rare example of sacred architecture with Arab-Sicilian influences, dating from the 12th–13th century.