Egidio Bevilacqua
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Calabria - Policastrello di San Donato di Ninea (CS), fiume Occido e Pozzo Turchino
Calabria - Guardia Piemontese (CS), Torre di Guardia
GUARDIA PIEMONTESE TOWER OF GUARDIA
The watchtower was built in 1000 b.c. on the top of the village of Guardia Piemontese in the municipality of Cosenza. As every tower built on the Calabrian plateau, the function of this building was to signal the arrival of Saracen pirates. In the past enemies often came from the sea and Saracen pirates were the most terrifying invaders. The watchtower in Guardia Piemontese is certainly the best-preserved tower showing walls of about 20 metres high and 2 metres thick; it has been a military building with the aim to defend the village over the centuries. The natives to Guardia Piemontese called this tower The Tower ou Castelle (Castle) even if it had never been the house of brave knights or aristocratic families.
Calabria - Lorica (CS), lago Arvo
LORICA LAKE ARVO
Lake Arvo (1.278m high) is situated on the territory of Lorica in Sila Grande belonging to the district of Cosenza; it covers the high valley of the same name river, blocked at Nocelle Soprana village, in the territory of San Giovanni in Fiore (CS), showing a dam of about 21,5 metres high. The artificial basin has the capacity of about 84 million cubic metres of water, a perimeter of about 24 km and a length of about 8,7 km. This lake has been built from 1926 to 1932 to produce electricity. It is confluent to River Arvo, River Capalbo and the streams Melillo, Cavaliere, Pugliese and Rovalicchio. It is connected to lake Ampollino through a gallery 6,250m long. Lake Arvo was inaugurated by Umberto and Maria of Savoia on May 28 th 1932.
Calabria - Parco Nazionale del Pollino (CS), pino Loricato
POLLINO NATIONAL PARK PINE LORICATO
The Pine of Lorica has a secular life, it can reach a diameter of over than 1 metre and a height of about 40 metres. It is a real living fossil of the last Ice Age; it is founded in the rocky areas of Pollino National Park. It is a solid tree, stocky and twisted, shaped by wind, lightnings and ice. The foliage of this tree is not so thick but it is dark green coloured, showing whitegreyish branches typically flag shaped because of the direction of main wind; branches show no resistance to winds action. Its texture is resinous and it make it able to survive over the circle of its own life becoming a monumental tree; some of these trees are monuments of rare beauty. Pine needles are green coloured, 2,5 mm wide and 6-8 cm long. The bark is unmistakable, cracked by several keystone plaques called Loriche as the ancient Roman armors, that were greyish coloured and covered by shiny chips.
Calabria - San Nicola Arcella (CS), Torre Crawford o Torre Saracena
SAN NICOLA ARCELLA CRAWFORD TOWER OR SARACEN TOWER
The tower is placed in front of the natural harbour of San Nicola Arcella, a village situated in the municipality of Cosenza. This watchtower was built in the fifth century by the Vice Regno of Spain to defend the territory from frequent Saracen pirate attacks. Nowadays this buildings (able to evocate interesting memories both historical and literary) are an important architectonic heritage of rare beauty such as the tower situated on a buttress defending the harbour called “Blue Harbour�. The high flight of steps leads to both the first and the second floor of the tower; it represents one of the most important element of the entire building. This tower was the home for the American writer Francis Marion Crawford (1854-1909), who was a well-known historical novelist. This writer loved sailing. While he was travelling across the South Tyrrhenian Sea, he went on the shore of San Nicola Arcella and he enjoyed the beauty of both this wonderful place and the fifth century tower which took his name.
Calabria - Camigliatello Silano (CS), corso principale
CAMIGLIATELLO SILANO
It is one of the most important municipality in Silan Plateau. The origin of this name comes from the term Scamigliati (a monastic order which used to wear only the habit, without jacket). This name in origin was Camigliatello and it later was changed into Camigliatello Silano. The visitor centre is situated at the junction of roads linking several municipalities to Silan territory. This town was crossed in the past by the SS 107 built in 1875, and it offers nowadays a convenient highway: the Superstrada Paola-Cosenza-Crotone. It is easy to reach trough the Calabrian railway, or Calabrian- Lucano railway line. It is situated in the wonderful Silan Plateau, at an altitude of 1200 m s.l.m. forming the Sila Grande. Placed at the foot of Curcio Mountain, Camigliatello Silano is a well-known winter visitor centre.
Calabria - Amendolara (CS), Torre Spaccata
AMENDOLARA BROKEN TOWER
The tower was built in the fifth century on the coast to defend the territory from the frequent Turkish pirates attacks coming from the sea. The tower is situated in the territory of Amendolara whose name comes from the latin word amygdalaria (which means Almonds). Here, the sea space in front of this tower, is connected to the legend dealing with the island , maybe the Ogigia one, described by Omero which was the home of the goddess Calypso. Surely this space in the sea hides shallow waters such as the Banco of Amendolara, which in the past was a dry land and nowadays is the destination for fishermen and divers. The tower fell down in the past but recently it has been restored.
Calabria - Campana (CS), Giganti di Pietra nel sito dell’Incavallicata
CAMPANA THE ROCKY GIANTS OF SILA
There are two amazing nearly-close monumental monoliths situated in the National Park of Sila from centuries or millenniums; they are placed in Sila Greca near the Sila Grande, between the municipality of Fossiata and the district of Campana in the territory of Cosenza. The first one is not easy to interpret because of some missing rocks on the top; instead in the lower part there are the representation of some human legs. The second monolith showing a height of about 6 m. is the clear representation of an elephant (maybe the copy of an exemplar of Elephas Antiquus, which became extinct in the Pleistocene Age). Under these two monoliths there are some small caves as witness of an ancient cave civilization. Once found out that these rocky giants in the Incavallicata centre are a human creation, we will become conscious to observe one of the biggest prehistorical sculpture of Europe.
Calabria - Croce di Magara (CS), villaggio rurale
CROCE DI MAGARA
The name comes from a greek word meaning big cross. It is situated in the territory of Spezzano della Sila and Spezzano Piccolo. It is a rural village built after the agrarian reform; nowadays it is an interesting visitor centre especially by an environmental point of view because of its closeness to the Biogenetical Protected Area of Fallistro called Giants of Sila, a protected area founded on July 21 1987 through the law by the decree n.426 of Ministry of the Environment. It is linked to the municipality of Camigliatello Silano through both the SS 107 panoramic and the convenient highway Paola-Crotone. During winter it offers a cross-country skiing slope situated on a natural path leading to the Fallistro Protected Area.
Calabria - Rossano Calabro (CS), Patire, Chiesa e Monastero di Santa Maria Odigitria
ROSSANO PATIRE • PATIR • PATIRION
S. Maria Odigitria Church and Convent The word Patire (to suffer) is a metonymy which refers to its own founder, father (Patir) Bartolomeo of Simeri; this name is also present in the papers of the Convent of S. Maria del Patir and S. Maria Nuova Odigitria, even if researchers prefer the recent term culta Patirion (Orsi 1922). The church was built at the beginning of XII century under the Norman domination and, through a pontifical decree of Pope Pasquale II (1150) it received the recognition of Abatia nullius, or church under the administration of the Holy Church. Nowadays only some ruins and an area of this church remain as en exemplar of Renaissance architecture. The church is still there and represents a building of rare beauty.
VILLAPIANA SARACEN TOWER
The tower is situated in the territory of the beautiful municipality of Villapiana, a village placed on an hill bordered by the Sibari plain North-Eastwards. In ancient times it was known as Leutermia, a name it has maintained until the XI century when it was destroyed by Saracen attacks. Once restored the village was called Casalnuovo and later Villapiana. During the XV century, a tower was built near the seashore: it is the wellpreserved watchtower also known as Saracen Tower.
Calabria - Capo Colonna di Crotone (KR), colonna del tempio dedicato ad Hera Lacinia
CAPO COLONNA OF CROTONE DORIC COLUMN
The village of Capo Colonna is linked to the history of Crotone since its own foundation between 740 b.c. And 718 b.c. by Achaeans. On the suggestive Lacinio promontory, which was considered a holy place, they built in the VI century the famous temple of Hera Lacinia - the greek goddess defender of women, pasture lands and fertility; it had not only the function of a church but according to the papers is possible to affirm that it was a stopping place for seamen. According to several archaeological finds found out in this area, the site of Capo Colonna is still an area of great value in Roman Age. Nowadays we can admire only an awesome lonely Doric column 8.30 m. high overhanging breathtaking landscapes and the view of the blue waters of the Protected Sea Area of Capo Rizzuto.
Calabria - Le Castella di Isola di Capo Rizzuto (KR), Castello Aragonese
LE CASTELLA OF ISOLA DI CAPO RIZZUTO ARAGONESE CASTLE
The origins of the seaside village Le Castella are really ancient; this small village is part of the Capo Rizzuto island, in the district of Crotone. It is a natural roof garden situated on few metres over the sea level; the village overhangs the beautiful bay and the enchanting Aragonese Castle. The name of the well-known territory of “Le Castella� in its plural form probably refers to the presence of others castles built on the small islands situated along the coast and later plunged into the sea. In several papers of the NormanSwabian Age, the village has the name of Castella Maris (Iudex Castellorum Maris). The castle shows an irregular plan and it was built at the end of the XIII century the Angevins, later it has been restored and enlarged by Aragons to defend the Calabrian Coast from continuous Arab invasions.
Calabria - Punta Alice di Cirò Marina (KR), Torre Vecchia
Calabria - Badolato (CZ)
BADOLATO
The ancient city is placed on a peak between two valleys linked to the downing plain; the strong lines marking the landscape show natural beauties that people can see admiring the breathtaking views along the path leading to the Serre Plateau. The village dates back to the beginning of the X century when Roberto il Guiscardo duke of Calabria decided in 1080 to built a “pacific village“. Later the village entered the reign of angevins belonging to Filippo di Badolato who took it from Pietro Ruffo Conte di Catanzaro through violence and gave it to his own descendants just to 1454. According to the law of succession it belonged to the family of Toraldo in Tropea just to 1578. Then, in 1811 a law, later confirmed by the Borbonical one, made it chief town of the territory including Isca, S. Caterina and Guardavalle. The earthquake in 1905 and the flood in 1951 imposed to people to leave the centre of the village and move to the coast.
Calabria - Borgia (CZ), Basilica di S. Maria della Roccella
BORGIA BASILICA OF S. MARIA DELLA ROCCELLA
This name comes from the ruins of the Basilica of Santa Maria which was built by Norman people between the XI century and the beginning of the XII century. This building was built on the ruins of the ancient Roman village of Scolacium; it shows the Western Roman style, but preserve also some line of Arab and Byzantine art. The Basilica of Santa Maria della Roccella is part of the Archaelogical Park of Scolacium; it has only one nave which was 73 m. long and 25 m. wide. In origin the centre of Borgia was called Roccella and it was strictly connected to the greek site of Skylletion and the Roman site Scolacium. Borgia is a wonderful city situated in the district of Catanzaro; it is placed on the top of a hill between the jonic sea and the hills of river Corace. The village shows raised buildings, large regular parallel streets making it easy to visit.
Calabria - Zagarise (CZ), Tirivolo, Villaggio Grechi
ZAGARISE TIRIVOLO-VILLAGGIO GRECHI
It is a beautiful village situated in the Sila Piccola of Catanzaro at an altitude of 1700 m. s.l.m.; the village belongs to the territory of Sila National Park. This village was built in 30’s as seasonal stopping place for woodworkers (also called “Mannesi”) and for the coal workers that had worked in this place for long time. The village is situated in the municipality of Zagarise and it is a well-known place for those who love mountain tourism. The village is the starting point for a lot of naturalistic paths of the Park such as “The Giant” path a road leading to the monumental tree called “Prometeo”.
Calabria - Acconia di Curinga (CZ), Terme Romane
ACCONIA OF CURINGA ROMAN BATHS
The Small village of Acconia is part of the district of Curinga belonging to the municipality of Catanzaro; in ancient times it was known with the name of hautonia, hacconia and finally it was called Lacconia (nowadays the name is Acconia); this name was used by greeks to refer to this village before their occupation. In the land of Acconia there are some ruins of the Roman Age including the wonderful baths called “Tempio di Castore e Polluce� which is the only exemplar founded on the entire land of Calabria. Baths are probably parts of a magnificent monumental building dating back to the III-IV century A.D. Baths are close to the Tyrrhenian Sea and surrounded by greenish mountains. The last part of this ruins are well-preserved and allow us to enjoy the frigidarium (the zone for cold baths) and the calidarium (the zone for hot baths).
Calabria - Parghelia (VV), la Pizzuta
PARGHELIA LA PIZZUTA
Parghella is a beautiful village situated in the district of Vibo Valentia; it is placed on the north side of Poro mountain. In ancient times Parghelia was known as Paralìa a greek word meaning “Beach” or “Coast”. In the Sea village of Parghelia there are beautiful golden sand beaches, crystalline waters and enchanting bays but there is also a suggestive cliff called Il Palombaro by native people; on tourist guides it is known as La Pizzuta by referring to its pointed shape. An ancient legend tell the Story of a slave who threw stones against the ships to make their unable to reach the Tyrrhenian coast.
Calabria - Serra San Bruno (VV), la Certosa
SERRA SAN BRUNO THE CERTOSA
The origin of the beautiful village of Serra San Bruno is connected to the arrival of a monk called Bruno native to the city of Colonia in Germany; he was born in an aristocratic family and was the founder of the Monastic order of Certosini. The Monk received the territory of modern Calabrian Serre Plateau as a gift from the Norman Count Ruggero to built his hermitage, or the Certosa di Santo Stefano del Bosco; this building has been the first convent of Italy and the second one in Europe after the Grenoble convent in France. This suggestive hermitage is situated in Calabria belonging to the district of Vibo Valentia and it is placed on the mountain range called Serre in the north side of Aspromonte. It reaches an altitude of about 300 m. over the village of Serra San Bruno. The religious building was restored for the third time in 1783 after the earthquake.
Calabria - Briatico (VV), Torre la Rocchetta (1605)
BRIATICO THE ROCCHETTA
The village of Briatico is situated on an hill at the right side of the Stream Murria; it was destroyed by the earthquake in 1783; nowadays there still remain the ruins of the medieval castle (rebuilt under the domination of Fernando Bisbal) and the old centre. The village of Briatico was built by inhabitants of Locri when they moved to Hipponion; the first witness about the existence of Briatico date back to the XII century when the Ruggero the Norman in a decree dealing with the bishopric of Mileto was interested in the small centre of Euriatikon (or Briatico). On the beautiful beach showing the small port of tourist centre in Briatico, there is the tower called the Rocchetta, a watch tower on the coast with a pentagonal plan which was built by greeks and later restored by roman and restored again in the Middle-Age.
Calabria - Nicotera (VV), spiaggia
NICOTERA
The ancient village of Nicotera was already known in the IV century; it is situated on a cliff between Poro mountain and the blue waters of Tirreno Sea. It control by the top the Gulf of Gioia Tauro offering suggestive landscapes of both the Eolie Islands and the Sicilian coast. During the Roman Age it was one of the most important cities of Calabria. The village of Nicotera was fortify and restored according to the whishes of Roberto il Guiscardo in 1065. The village developed in the same period around the wonderful castle that he wanted to build. The village of Nicotera Marina is a wellknown visitor centre which offers a long comfortable beach made of clear sand and fine gravel with several services and shops.
Calabria - Pentedattilo di Melito Porto Salvo (RC)
PENTEDATTILO OF MELITO OF PORTO SALVO
The name Pentedattilo comes from the latin word pentedàktilòs meaning five fingers; it is the most interesting village of Calabria and it is placed on a ciclopic cliff (454 m. high) made of sandstone; it is shaped like an enormous hand indicating the sky to raise or plunge the old houses along the slope. Pentedattilo is part of the municipality of Melito di Porto Salvo and was a calcidese colony in 640 A.D.. during the Roman Age it was part of the defence with the aim to preserve the stream of Sant’Elia the most easiest path to reach the Aspromonte. Under the Byzantine domination the village was in decline because of saracen attacks. During the XII century the village was conquered by Normans and later changed into a barony belonging to the Abenavoli family by King Ruggero d’Altavilla. Later this feud was ruled by Francoperta family bllod related with the queen. In the middle 60’s the village was abandoned just to the beginning of the 80’s when some young people began to rebuilt the ancient village, a place of great value.
STILO THE CATTOLICA
The village of Stilo is a witness to the meeting between east and west through the story of greek colony in south Italy. The name derives from the greek word stylos meaning “column� because this was the ancient name of Consolino Mountain at the foot of whose the city is placed. Its origin is connected to the distruction of the greek city of Kaulon (Caulonia) by Dioniso I the tyrant of Siracusa. Once rebuilt Caulonia became again a powerful city because of an alliance with Rome in 270 A.D., but it was destroyed once again by Hannibal and greeks from Carthage. In the VII century with the arrival of Byzantines Stilo increased its power. In the X century it became the most important byzantine centre of South Calabria. The Cattolica represents the most important evidence of byzantine ruins in Calabria: it is a small temple of XI century on a greek cross square plan with three apses indicating Eastwards and five domes covered by tiles. The interior is characterized by four columns dating back to the roman Age and byzantine paintings lighted by natural light entering through the beautiful mullioned windows.
Calabria - Cetraro (CS), scogliera e spiaggia dei Rizzi
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