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Palmariggi is a small
centre so there are not many artistic monuments to visit. Here you can see the
 rests
of an ancient Aragonese Castle, that consists of two enormous towers. The
imposing structure was built in the XV century to defend the centre from the
frequent barbaric and Saracen raids. There are few religious buildings. The
Chapel of the Lady of Constantinople is small . The Churches of St. Luca and of
St Maria of the Palm date back to the XVIII century, and both have a sober
façade that mirrors the simplicity of the interior decorations. The most
interesting monument to see is the Sanctuary of the Lady of Montevergine,
outside of the urban nucleus and dating back to the XVIII century. Previously,
there was a small XV century church : inside there is an ancient Basilian Crypt
of the VIII century where you can see a Byzantine painting representing the
Assumption of the Lady. According to a legend the sanctuary was built after
a miraculous event, according to which the Lady appeared to a young shepherd
. The patron of the village is the Virgin of the Palm, that is celebrated two
weeks after Easter.
The nickname of the
inhabitants of Palmariggi is "carnocculari," a word meaning frogs. That
reputation
is due to the fact that, in ancient times, this area was full of swamps and
damp. So it was the ideal habitat for toads and frogs. Thanks to the jobs of
reclamation, the marshy zones have disappeared, but the people of Palmariggi
have got the same nickname.
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