San Fele – whose name was originally Santo Felice – is a small medieval village in the province of Potenza in Basilicata and is part of the Mountain Community of Vulture.
Its origins date back to 969 A.D., when the populations settled in these areas, at the behest of Ottone I of Saxony, erected a fortress castle on a mountain in the Vitalba Valley for defensive purposes: later the village centre began to develop around this area.
In addition to the fortress castle of undoubted historical and architectural value are also Palazzo Frascella imposing architecture located under the Monte Castello which is characterized by the reuse of building materials collapsed after the earthquakes; Palazzo Stia which was the home of the general of the post-unification Italian army Francesco Stia, called to stop the phenomenon of banditry; Palazzo Faggella one of the main buildings of the city, now the town hall, built in the seventeenth century and belonged to the Faggella family.
As far as religious architecture is concerned, the Church of Santa Maria della Quercia should be mentioned first of all: built in 1514, the Mother Church is located at the foot of Monte Castello, in the highest part of the city. The main structure with three naves, in the shape of a Greek cross, dates back to the 16th century, while the dome dates back to the 18th century.
Inside there is an ancient wooden crucifix of human size and a canvas by an unknown author from the 17th century, depicting Saint Rose of Viterbo, while in the left aisle there is an urn containing the relics of Saint Justino de Jacobis; while outside, on the main staircase, always in honour of the Saint, a Statue was erected in memory of his canonization, which took place in 1975.
With the earthquake of 1980 it suffered serious vertical injuries in the facade, arches and vaults, with partial detachments and collapses of plaster and stucco that led to the closure of the church to the public until the early 2000s.
Of undoubted interest are also the Badia di Santa Maria di Pierno, which is located on a wooded plateau about ten kilometers from the city and the birthplace of San Giustino de Jacobis located in the historic center of San Fele.destination of religious pilgrimages.
