Ottati is a Middle Age town with the shape of a grape that slopes down towards Calore valley. The territory is very interesting for excursions and trekking, people come from all over Italy because of its wonderful landscapes, for example the source of the river Fasanella is in a very charming place called “Caverna dell’Auso o Abisso”. Mountains are rich of woods. There are many different trees: beeches, ilexes, chestnut groves, pines, firs and near Tempa del Prato there is the Aleppo pine and the maritime pine.

Ottati is also a religious town. Its architecture and the works of art are very interesting. On Civita Mount there is an important archaeological area where there are the remains of a community of XI century.

The feast of the Patron, Saint Blaise on the 3rd February is very nice, the population chose Saint Blaise as the Patron because of the plague and then because of a terrible illness called “throat ache” by population: it was the diphtheria.

HISTORY
The name comes from the word "decisione" (decision, from the Latin word optatus, that is desired). Some shepherd decided to live in this area because it was “protected from winds”. According to other hypothesises the name comes from the great presence of figs, called “ottati”, from the cult of Sant’Ottato, bishop of Milevi.

Ottati was feud of many families. It was destroyed by Federico II di Svevia in XIII century but it was immediately rebuilt. Ilexes couldn’t be cut because they protected the town from landslips. Along the mountain there are still the caves where monks lived.

Ottati fought against Sant’Angelo, the other hamlet of Fasanella, to obtain the “Fasana”, that is the ensign portraying the pheasant. Both hamlets considered the pheasant their own symbol. After a battle that lasted many years, in XVI century an agreement was made: there was the creation of an ensign portraying a pheasant on a side, and Saint Michael the Archangel on the other side.

In 1700 the town belonged to the powerful family of Caraguso-Maricenda.

FOLKLORE AND EVENTS
• Arte ad Ottati, an art event: the town is transformed in a nice art gallery. Artists from all over Italy come to Ottati and make in the town their murals which decorate and enrich it
• Saint Blaise, the Patron, Feast on the 3rd February is very nice: the population chose Saint Blaise as the Patron because of the plague and then because of a terrible illness called “throat ache” by population: it was the diphtheria
• “Dottato” fig festival (September)

MONUMENTS AND NATURAL BEAUTIES
• Civita Mount, there is an important archaeological area where there are the remains of a community of XI century
• Madonna del Cardoneto Sanctuary with a XV century statue of Our Lady
• San Biagio Church, with a stone portal. The church is divided in three naves, the vault is richly painted. There are two wonderful paintings: Sangue Redentore (1590) by an unknown Flemish painter and Circoncisione. There is also a silver statue of the Saint made in 1750
• Annunziata Church (with stone portal of 1618) with the Dominican monastery. At the opposite side of the wonderful cloister, there is the Town Theatre
• Capuchin Monastery
• Vergine delle Grazie Church built in 1500
• Vuccolo della Carità, from where the lowest part of Ottati can be seen together with Civita mount in the background
• Panormo Refuge
• Fountain of Lauro fuso and Alburno peak (1742 m)

 

 

testi: Stefania Maffeo