The origins of Torchiara go back to the domination of Agropoli by the Saracens, as most of the citizens were forced to find refuge in the nearby hills.

A lot of new towns raised like Torchiara, that built seven fortified towers within its perimeter to defend itself from the Barbarian raids.

The first documents, where the name Torchiara appears, are dated around year 1000. In a "praeceptum" of 1018, a donation edit between the Longobardo Prince Guaimario IV and his son, there are references of the feudal nature duties of the people of the "de Trocclara" area. Another letter of 1100, between the Bishop of Capaccio and the Abbot of Cava, reports the border lines of the local lands "serra quae dicitur Trocclara".

The town was part of the Gastald county of Lucania and in 1034 became officially part Lucanian District.

In the Norman Ages, Torchiara was granted from the Liege Lord Ruggero Borsa (1085-1111), son of Robert the Guiscard, to the Sanseverino Family that preserved their rights on the lands, except for very short terms, till 1535, when they finally sold the properties to Francesco de Ruggero of Salerno Torchiara, Copersito and Rutino.

The authority of the Sanseverino Family came less between 1246 and 1276 due to their involvement in the "Conspiracy of Capaccio" and between 1485 and 1487 due to their active participation to another conspiracy "of the Barons".

After a long siege of the Turks in 1563, Torchiara and Copersito in 1598 became again part of the property belongings of Marfisia del Vecchio, wife of Alessandro de Concilis of the de Ruggero Family. This Family possessed these lands till the "Feudal property abolition law" of Giuseppe Bonaparte in 1806.

Torchiara had an important role in the Risorgimento: during the skirmish battles of 1848 it became one of the revolt hideouts. Between the insurgents, there were famous names such Carlo Pavone and Giambattista Riccio, that were both trialed and sentenced for this rebellion by the Gran Court of Salerno.

Not to miss from a historic and architectonic point of view are: Palazzo Pavone and Palazzo Torre (XVIII century) on the western side of the town; The Church of S.S. Salvatore (XII century) and Tore Mangoni (XVIII century) on the eastern side; the Church of San Bernardino (XV century) and the Palazzo Baronale De Concilis (XVI century) on the southern side; whilst in Copersito: the Palazzo De Vita, The Palazzo Albini (XVII-XVIII century), the Palazzo Mangoni and the Palazzo Siniscalchi at South-East, the Church of Santa Barbara and the Palazzo De Feo (XVI century) in the centre and the Capella of San Giuseppe (XV century) at North-East.