Fausto Florenzano — Baronial Palace

Fausto Florenzano - Baronial Palace

"We are on the first floor of the loggia — known as the ‘loggia of the large windows’ — which overlooks the courtyard of orange trees.

An interesting fact: there is still an old orange tree in the courtyard, probably dating back to the 18th century, which survives solely through its bark.

This is a very old residence; perhaps a hunting lodge or, alternatively, a structure built to control the territory.

The historical origins of the Baronial Palace date back, in fact, to 1390 — or at least to the end of the medieval era — when the hamlet of Morigerati, along with the hamlet of Sicilì, was given as a dowry to a noblewoman, Cubella di Pietrafissa, who married a certain Matteo Comite of Salerno.

After various vicissitudes, the fiefdom eventually came under the control of the De Stefano family.

The building underwent extensive renovations in the late 19th century — when the property, having passed to the Gallotti family, was partially divided up following an expropriation by the Church. The entire 20th century was then marked by a period of extreme poverty.

Here in Morigerati, there has always been a special tradition of hospitality — linked, for example, to pilgrims arriving from neighboring towns, especially in honor of and during the celebrations of the town’s patron saint, Saint Demetrius.

In fact, it was a common tradition that every stable and every sheltered place be offered free of charge to accommodate pilgrims — a tradition taken to the highest level by two remarkable women in my family, Clorinda and Modestina, who often welcomed the most humble of people into their home.

It’s wonderful to recall that the door to the Palazzo always had the key in the lock — whether a pilgrim arrived, a visitor came by, or a merchant selling his wares stopped by: everyone knew they could enter, warm themselves by the fireplace in winter, and receive a cup of coffee. And the idea of keeping that door always open, as it has been for decades, is now my primary goal.

To that end, we’ve established a cultural association named after Clorinda and Modestina Florenzano — the two sisters who promoted tourism and started the collection of artifacts that is now part of the town’s Ethnographic Museum.”