 The first reference to San Massimo, dating to 1113 CE, occurs in the locative surname of a Norman nobleman, De Sancto Maximo.At the time, San Massimo likely was a feudal estate, composed of a castle, the remains of which can be seen today, surrounded by farmland.The Church of Santa Maria delle Fratte was erected in the 12th century, and rebuilt on several occasions after devastating earthquakes that nearly leveled San Massimo in 1456 and 1805.