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CALABRIA
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Stay
in
Rural Area
La
Sila The
Riviera Dei Cedri
Pollino
National Park
Aspromonte
National Park
Raganello River
Rural
Towns
Rural Area
A
spectacular region such as Calabria cannot but fascinate anyone
who visits it and discovers it's elaborate, coarse and anguished scenery
full of, not only sea, beaches and entertainment but also mountain
tops, history and panoramas.
Wherever
you may be, on the plains or at the seaside, you can admire it's
mountains or high ground and spot the small and very ancient villages
resting on the rocks. Each little village will
have it's share of history, panorama, nature and won't be
missing
a "piazza", dark backstreets and hot spots where you can
gaze at the town's imposing surroundings.
Very
characteristic of these small villages are the Town Feasts
in honour of their Patron Saints: for "Santo Ciriaco"
in Buonvicino-Cosenza, the inhabitants (about 3000 of
population) create a respectful combination of praying and reverence
with music, dancing and eating; this feast lasts five days and five
nights in the "paese" (town center) but
begins with a "Town Picnic" down at the "Grotto of
Santo Ciriaco" where the Saint used to
pass his days praying.
In
this land you can find tracks of different times in history, Baroque
and Romanesque towers and castles, Medieval Villages, Palaeolithic
remains in the cavern under "Torre Talao" at Scalea
or rock engravings in the "Romito Grotto" Papasidero. All
these and many more historic and natural beauties are lying along
Calabria's mountains and rocks waiting to be explored and certainly
remembered.
Rural
Towns
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Aieta
whose
origins are ancient, has developed around the recently restored
Martirano
building, one of the most imperious and beautiful constructions
in Calabria. The historical centre of Aieta is characteristic
for its medieval architecture. Today, Aieta owes its fame
to its gastronomical traditions, and its arts and crafts,
especially its textile works and gastronomical delicatessen.
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Buonvicino
This small
village appears almost unexpectedly, between the green mountains
and hill tops. The houses seem to have been built almost
on top of each other, starting from a natural valley going
on to the rocks. It is particular in twisted alleyways that
intercept each other going from the houses to the small
shops to the ancient Mother Church. The town's piazza
houses a recently built Gazebo where you can admire
a breathtaking view of the high green mountains that
cross each other creating a natural frame for the Tyrrhenian
that can be spotted in the distance.
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Altomonte
Altomonte
is an antique Norman village, that has been completely
restored using materials dating back to Medieval times.
All the monuments of Altomonte have been excellently conserved,
particularly the church of "Saint Mary of the Consolation"
one of the most beautiful churches in Calabria that dates
back to the Angevin period. Another spectacular Sanctuary
lies in the close by town of San Sosti, the Sanctuary of
"Saint Mary of Pettoruto" and is very well known
locally. The church with it's three aisles, was built on
the spot where a deaf and dumb shepherd had a vision of
the Virgin Mary. Every year many pilgrims walk to the church,
throwing a number of stones in the river that runs alongside
the road, symbolising their sins.
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Camigliatello
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Papasidero
is
a
town in the immediate Calabrian hinterland, where time seems
to have stood still. Its medieval character and antique
traditions are kept alive in the every day way of living
of its inhabitants. Visit the church of Saint Mary to admire
the frescos.. or the "Grotto of Romito", in the
locality of Avena, where
a
primitive carving of an ox has
been found on one of the Grotto's walls. This was set to
be one
of the most ancient works of art performed by prehistoric
man. A copy of it has been reproduced and is now held in
the National Museum of Reggio Calabria.
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Verbicaro
is
one of the most well-known areas, belonging to the "Montana
Community" in the Tyrrhenian Cosentino region, for
its wines, homemade salamis and authentic traditions. The
social wine cellar has been producing wine for quite some
time and can enjoy from a few years the classification of
the wine that takes the name from the same town, as a DOC.
The characteristic procession, held to celebrate Good Friday
is quite spectacular with its parade of religious disciples
who beat themselves in physical penitence, in remembrance
to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Visit the historical centre,
full of medieval architecture and the church of the Madonna
of the Nevi, where Byzantine frescos can be found.
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Grisolia & Maierà
Two medieval
boroughs, both lie silently on the mountains even though
at short distance from each other, only few hundreds of
metres, it takes a long way from one town to the other for
the dramatic separation created by the Valley of the torrent
Vaccuta. Both towns have hardly changed in their architectural
structure since feudal times, retaining the same lanes,
flights of rough stairs and narrow streets. Maierà
hosts a feudal manor positioned at the top of the town in
mysterious silence and Grisolia's
church "Madonna delle Grazie" houses various valuable
objects from the 15th and 18th centuries.
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