Overview
Located at the foot of Mount Calvario, according to an ancient legend, Lentella was founded in the 7th century by a Roman army. The place name is said to derive from the name of the governor's daughter, Lentula. In reality, the village has its origins in the 11th century, at the time of the Normans.
The historic centre preserves much of its medieval appearance, with the high scarp walls that draws the outline of rock and with the fortified village, of which the Catalano Palace and the Giovannelli Palace are characteristic.
In 2011, in the locality of La Coccetta, some archaeological excavations were conducted. These uncovered Bronze Age fragments, some early medieval burials, two grain pits, a pitcher from the 11th or 12th centuries and a moat referable to the medieval settlement. This complex was named Castello Manno, which anciently appeared among the properties of the abbey of Santa Maria di Casanova.
In Contrada Casale dei Monaci there are the remains of an ancient Benedictine settlement of unknown name, built on the remains of a pagan temple. Here there is also a spring of chalk water that, thanks to its properties, is still used for washing the eyes: according to tradition, these waters have therapeutic properties and are capable of curing certain diseases.
Also worth a visit is the ruin of the Church of San Giovanni, located near the ancient cemetery. The original structure was built on the remains of a Roman villa, although today the vegetation covers the site completely.
The Church of the Patron Saints Cosma and Damiano, built in the late 1700s, stands on the town's main square. The chapel was first mentioned in 1576 but was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in the late 1800s.
On the top of the Lentellese hill, in the heart of the first urban agglomeration, the Church of Santa Maria Assunta is built around 1500: its imposing profile and its tower, which is square and made of stone, can be seen from a great distance and is one of the symbols of the village.
Closing the circle of beauty that surrounds Lentella is the cuisine. You will be delighted by the goodness of the sweet fried scrippelle, the cif e ciaf and the typical porchetta.