centro storico, di mezzacosta, costiero, difensivo, Cleto, Pietramala (storico, XII-XIII sec.), Cleta (storico, X sec.)

The old settlement is dominated by the stout quadrilateral castle, its bastions and cylindrical towers still commanding the hillside. The medieval layout clings to an outcropping spur of rock, a classic example of incastellamento where natural defences, the steep cliff-face, were reinforced by human engineering. The tiny borgo was once accessible through four gates, which remain: Porta Pirillo to the south, Porta Timpone to the north-west, Porta Cafarone to the east, and Porta Forgia to the west. The housing stock is mostly modest, with a few tower-houses and some finer buildings scattered through the warren.

What sets this place apart is the pervasive presence of rock-cut dwellings, caves, and cisterns that speak to a much older habitation. These cavities, carved directly into the stone spur, recall Bronze Age grottoes found nearby, and today still serve as animal shelters, rainwater tanks, and storage for tools and grain. Around 1200, chroniclers described it as a military outpost, the castle of Petramala, already standing before the Normans arrived, in the ancient territory of Temesa.

Description via source. Coordinates and heritage data from the Atika atlas.