Destination Spotlight: Caposele, Italy with Casa Elisabetta
Milan, Florence, Venice, Rome! Italy is a country full of some of the most beautiful (and most touristy) cities; with about 61 million visitors per year. We want to host a Fit Trip in Italy but part of our ethos is to be responsible about the places we go and our impact on that environment. In order to not stress the overpopulated Italian destinations, we wanted to find the perfect spot-- somewhere near nature but full of culture. Some place you wouldn’t necessarily think of going. We found Caposele.
Caposele? Yes! Caposele, a small city (village) situated in the Campania region of southern Italy.
Surrounded by idyllic mountain scenery and water springs, Caposele is the perfect place for a Fit Trip--a mix of active days in nature, restorative days among the beauty of Italy’s southern landscapes, and molto cultura.
We asked Pasquale Russomanno, owner of Casa Elisabetta and co-founder of Mountain Surfers Italy, why he thinks Caposele is the perfect place for one of our Fit Trips.
Hello, Pasquale! Tell us about Casa Elisabetta and Caposele?
I must say, first of all, that me and my family started to rent out our villa Casa Elisabetta to fulfill our wish of connecting with people from all over the world and sharing with them our culture and traditions. We started without any expectation, but it turned to be an amazing experience that changed our life!
Casa Elisabetta is a charming Italian villa located within walking distance from our village, Caposele, a genuine small and very peaceful village in Southern Italy. This two-story villa was built on top of a limestone cliff in the middle of an ancient olive tree grove belonging to our grandmother Elisabetta’s farm. Surrounded by a large outdoor area, wonderful mountains and nature, its unique location offers breathtaking views and a peaceful atmosphere. The only noise you can hear are the pleasant church bells from the village which remind us olden days.
The villa consists of several modern apartments inspired to outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing and biking. All apartments are fully furnished, have a fully-equipped kitchen, panoramic terrace, and balcony with an amazing view of the village, the Sele Valley, and surrounding mountains.
On the backside of the villa we have a panoramic pool perfect to refresh the body and mind while watching the fantastic panorama. The pool is set within a circular Mediterranean garden where plants such as topped lavender, oleander, Mediterranean dwarf palm, rosemary create a very special sensorial experience. Included in the villa's outdoor area are also a spacious barbecue area and an ecological garden, where guests can harvest a variety of seasonal vegetables for their own use such as tomatoes, zucchini, basil.
Now let me tell you about our small village Caposele; immersed in the green heart of the Campania region (Southern Italy) and surrounded by wonderful and wild mountains. Caposele, which belongs to the Picentini Mountains Regional Park, is also known as the "ancient water kingdom" for the karstic water springs of the Sele River. The springs feed the world's longest aqueduct known as Apulian Aqueduct built in the beginning of the twentieth century and still to this day is one of the most extraordinary engineering works ever built by hand. Due to the importance of the aqueduct, our village was not shown on maps for many years.
Several unique churches tell Caposele’s history and culture in addition to representing a symbol of spirituality deeply felt by the locals. The Temple of Water of Saint Lorenzo, patron saint of the village, recalls the flow of the water representative element of Caposele. The tent-shaped Sanctuary of Saint Gerardo, protector saint of moms and kids, is the most famous church in the area.
Food and wine are an essential part of the local culture. Local products derive from the work of small breeders and farmers who follow traditional methods both in the cultivation and processing of the products. Nature, slow life, traditional local food and wine are the treasure of our territory and are essential to experience the true Italian culture.