CALABRIA

Calabria is a region with a very limpid sea, protected by old towers, once open and linked  fortifications. The hinterland contains a number of caslte-villages, suspended between the present and the past, immersed in a vibrant vegetation that gathers olive groves, vineyards, agaves, cedars, prickly pears, jasmines and bergamots. There are plenty of famous places either on the Tyrrhenian coast or the Ionian one.

The Ionian side features – among the others - Squillace, protected by the Diver tower and the Norman castle’s remains where the view reaches Capo Rizzato – with its extraordinary sea bed – and the Sila forests. Capo Colonna is a must with the outline on the sea shore of a Doric column, witness of an ancient temple dedicated to Janus. History and myth are mixed in this part of Calabria and give every detail a magic halo. The Tyrrhenian coast is as beautiful as the Ionian one, with its enchanted cliff of Scilla, the white beaches that echo Omero and Tropea, founded by Hercules. If you’re looking for a more quiet Calabria, you can’t miss a number of medieval villages such as Mormanno, Castrovillari – to discover old Svevian and monastic stories – or Santa Severina, a true architectural jewel.

The Magna Greece triumphs in Crotone, while the history of Reggio Calabria is lost in the mists of time and the different dominations left their mark in the town’s urban plan: you can’t miss the  Aragonese castle, the church of Ottimati and the very famous Riace Bronzes, discovered in 1972 off the Ionian coast. Cosenza, stretched along seven hills, keeps the cathedral and the Svevian castle among its treasures. Catanzaro is sheltered on a rocky headland that reminds a ship and the very narrow and small alleys of the city centre are linked to the modern suburbs by means of a viaduct on the Fiumarella river’s valley. Then a very ancient history winds among the narrow streets of Vibo Valentia, a land of dominations and conquests because of its strategic position in front of S. Eufemia Gulf.

And the mountains? There are plenty of mountains in the region, although Calabria always reminds the sea. One side of the Pollino National Park is in Calabria: peaks and planes, spaced out by deep gorges and rocky canyons crossed by limpid water. Sila is incredible, featuring a very rich fauna, a lot of valleys, forests and lakes, the very high Silver firs and the strong torrents of the Sierras. The mountainous pyramid of Aspromonte – from the Greek aspròs, meaning white – features pure white rocks on the Eastern side and the variety of landscape is amazing.

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