Rocca San Felice

The village of Rocca San Felice, of Lombard origin, stands on the border between the territories of Salerno and Avellino in Campania.

The symbol of the town is certainly the Castle that dominates the entire village and to which the legend of the ghost of Margaret of Austria is linked. Also noteworthy is the Sanctuary of Santa Felicita, built around the fourth century to replace the cult of the Goddess Mefite, and the Mother Church of Santa Maria Maggiore.

Finally, the archaeological area of the Ansanto Valley, which houses the Mefite, a small lake of sulphurous origin located between the municipalities of Villamaina, Torella dei Lombardi and Rocca San Felice, is well worth a visit.This denomination originates from the population of the Hirpini who, having settled down near the lake, asked the Goddess Mefite, venerated by most of the populations of southern Italy, for wealth and protection.A sanctuary was also dedicated to her, built around the 7th century BC.

Numerous objects from various civilizations have been found near the temple, including amphorae, terracottas and the altar of the Goddess Mefite, preserved in the Capodimonte Museum. The pond, on the other hand, consists of a puddle of water no more than two meters deep and 40 meters in perimeter that boils due to the emission of subsoil gases, consisting mainly of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid. Because of this the surrounding area is almost devoid of vegetation and animal population, with the exception of a very rare small woody plant, the anxious Genista.