Rione Fossi

The original denomination Di Rione Fossi was Fossa dei Greci and owes its name to the mosaic of caves and prehistoric dwellings ("Fosse") in which lived the Orphics (the asociali, or hermits).

In classical antiquity it was a sacred area, with temples, cenobi (always pagan) and priestly dwellings; in the Romanesque Middle Ages and in the Norman-Swabian-Angevin-Aragonese, the place had changed into a fortified village, taking advantage of the fortifications put to defend the imperial temples, with their great treasures. The citizens lived in the scattered houses and came to the fort only for religious celebrations and for the administrative needs of the market.

The ancient medieval village of Accadia, with its characteristic spiral shape, was abandoned after the earthquake of 1930 and today is uninhabited and only partially recovered: an enchanted place where time seems suspended to the last century.

The ghost village, surrounded by the remains of the medieval walls, offers glimpses of a remote past, where peasant houses dug into the rock alternate with noble palaces, and winding alleys, much more airy. The remains of the Byzantine Church dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul stand out among the cobblestone streets. Unmissable destination for those who suffer the charm of decadence, is the setting for the concerts of the Festival Accadia Blues, held every year on the third weekend of July.