The Church of Santa Maria al Monte, as its name also says, stands on the highest part of the mountain (m 1030 a.s.l.) on whose slopes the town stands. About its origins there’è a legend: it was one of a hundred churches that King Bove built’ in a single night after making a pact with the devil; only seven of them survived, including ours. Dedicated to the Assumption, whose 18th-century marble statue stands on the altar, it was probably built in the 13th century. From the’ancient legend perhaps derives the tradition of making, on the feast of the Assumption, seven laps around the church reciting the Ave Maria seven times. Also according to tradition, the church was built on a temple dedicated to the god Mars. Over the centuries due to earthquakes, fires and invasions, it has undergone many transformations. The portal, made of twisted stone, dates back to the 13th century. The interior è divided into three naves by two rows of columns made of small stone ashlars.
