Ionian Calabria Cultural Sites

​Attractions

The city of Reggio Calabria is located at the tip of the "Stivale", on the slopes of the Aspromonte Park, on the eastern shore of the Strait of Messina, from which it enjoys a spectacular view of Sicily, Mount Etna and the Aeolian Islands. Traditionally it is called Città della Fata Morgana because here the rare optical-mythological phenomenon of the Fata Morgana manifests itself, during which the Sicilian coast seems to be only a few meters away making it possible to distinguish houses, cars and people very well.
 

• Lungomare Falcomatà considered by some "the most beautiful kilometer of Italy", the Corso Garibaldi, an animated street full of shops; the Duomo, with the baroque chapel of S.S. Sacrament; the Aragonese Castle.

 

• Aspromonte: There are many interesting villages and tourist resorts in the province: starting from the area of ​​the Strait, in addition to the aforementioned city of Reggio Calabria, we point out Cannitello, a holiday resort at the point nearest to Sicily, further south, in the hills, is located the Byzantine Castle of S. Niceto near Motta San Giovanni. The Aspromonte covers a large area of ​​the territory of the entire province, and arrives, with its highest peak represented by Montalto, at an altitude of 1956 m. The most famous tourist resort is Gambarie (1300 m), equipped for winter sports and therefore equipped with slopes, ski facilities, chair lift, and various accommodation facilities.The particular uniqueness of the place is worth mentioning: it is the only ski resort in all of Europe where you can ski watching the sea, given the position overlooking the Strait of Messina. At the innermost part of the Aspromonte is the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Polsi, a destination for pilgrimages in the summer. The eastern area of ​​the Massif is home to the Aspromonte National Park.

 

• The Costa Viola is a splendid 25 km long coastal arch that faces first on the Strait, then on the Aeolian Islands. Scilla, from the beautiful castle, is included in the circuit "The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy", offers the charm of the Chianalea fishing district, with houses directly on the sea; other places worthy of note are Bagnara, Melìa, Solano, places of breathtaking views from the mountain that falls to the sea.In the Gioia Tauro plain, the current Gioia Tauro, once Metauros, includes an interesting archaeological area and an archaic necropolis in the Pietra district. Noteworthy are the centers of Palmi, which houses the Ethnographic Museum and the Antiquarium, famous for the beaches of Tonnara and Marinella, set in the high and jagged coastline dominated by Mount St. Elias, "defined the balcony on the Strait"; Seminara, known for the traditional craftsmanship of ceramics; Rosarno, the ancient Medma, with the museum and the archaeological area; Galatro, from the picturesque old town arranged in steps and the thermal plant; San Giorgio Morgeto with its medieval historic center; Oppido Mamertina with the archaeological area and the historical center. Moving to the ionic belt of the province, further south is the Grecanica area. To be visited absolutely is Pentedattilo, a ghost town clinging to a giant cliff with the shape of five fingers reaching out to the sky; Bova Marina with the archaeological area; in the hinterland there are all the centers of the Grecanici ethnic-linguistic community: Bova, Roghudi, Chorio, Roccaforte del Greco and Gallicianò.

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• The Grecian area is located on the south side of the Aspromonte, the territory is characterized by the rivers, including the Amendolea, which looks like a huge silver ribbon of pebbles bordered by citrus and broom plants, a very frequent destination for trekking in the summer.Towards the North-East is Palizzi, with its characteristic castle and white gullies, and the best-known resorts of the Gelsomini Riviera: Brancaleone, Bianco, famous for its "Greek" dessert wine production; and other seaside resorts.

 

• Village of Gerace

         One of the most interesting historical centers of Calabria, because of the many works and churches dating back to the Byzantine period              such as the Cathedral.

• Antonimina Terme

          Active SPA and wellness center. The healing potential of the thermal waters, known as "Ancient Waters," were known since ancient                      times,  as they were used by the ancient city of Locri Epizephiri. The ancient Locrians sent the waters in their city through an aqueduct                 built along the bank of the stream of Gerace.

• Ardore and Siderno Vecchia

          Villages with ancient buildings.

• Roman Villa in Casignana

          It is the second archaeological site of the Roman era of Southern Italy, after Piazza Armerina, for the wonderful beauty of its mosaics and            their conservation state.

• Villa of Naniglio in Gioiosa Jonica

          It was built towards the end of the first century B.C. and reached its maximum splendour around the III century A.D. The element of                    great  interest, for the exceptional state of conservation, is the great underground cistern with three naves, which was accessed in                        ancient  from the upper level by means of a spiral staircase.

• Castle of Carafa

          Roccella Ionica is dominated by this eighteenth-century castle.

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• Caulonia

          Numerous six-eighteenth-century churches.

• The Cattolica of Stilo is an example of Byzantine church architecture that’s one of the most important and best preserved in Italy, certainly unique in all of Calabria. The “Cattolica”, in fact, is a case study for anyone wanting to understand the development of Byzantine art in the South. The building, dating back to the tenth century AD, is a small structure (7.8m x 7.30m x 7m), a Greek cross inscribed in a square in a typical model “Pentakoubouklon” (πεντακούβουκλον) developed in Constantinople, later spreading to the rest of the Empire around the tenth century. Austere both inside and outside, made of hollow clay bricks and regular bricks joined by mortar, the few decorative elements found on its facade were mostly terracotta and the domes covered with square tiles and two brick frames arranged in a saw-tooth pattern along the line of the windows.

 

• Kaulon - Monasterace

         The archaeological site, identified during the first decades of the twentieth century, has given back important data on the extension of                 the  city walls and on the location of the sacred areas, the necropolis and some districts destined for private construction. Rich and well-              preserved mosaics are present, very famous is the dragon of Kaulon.

• Bivongi

          The remains of the Byzantine monastery of S. Giovanni Therestis and the waterfalls of Marmarico.

• Locri Epizephyrii

         The millenarian history of Locri Epizephyrii (in Greek Λοκροὶ Επιζεφύριοι) begins between the VIII and the VII century B.C. with the arrival,           on the shores of southern Calabria, of a group of settlers from Locris, a poor region of the ancient Greece. The site is rich in mosaic floors           and other important finds exposed in the homonymous museum.

• The castle of “Le Castella” – Isola Capo Rizzuto (Crotone) is among the most imposing fortresses of Calabria, the Aragonese castle  has over time become a symbol of tourism in Calabria. Located on a small strip of land overlooking the beautiful “Costa dei Saraceni” in the hamlet of Le Castella town of Isola Capo Rizzuto represents what remains of a more large ancient area. The fortress is surrounded by the Capo Rizzuto Marine Reserve and from one of the  rooms it is possible to observe the seabed thanks to of underwater cameras positioned in marine environment.

 

• The castle of “Santa Severina” – Santa Severina (Crotone) is a remarkable town in the province of Crotone where it is possible to admire the great castle of Santa Severina, also known as Carafa Castle, built on a fortress of the Roman-Byzantine time during the Norman domination of the XI century. It is composed of a XV century square surrounded by a moat and encircling walls. With a section that offers examples of different stiles (Byzantine, Norman, Svevian). Today the castle is home to a museum which exhibits the artifacts and archaeological collections from the neighboring territory.

 

• The National Museum and Archaeological Park of Capo Colonna resides on the promontory of Capo Colonna, south of Crotone, r created by the "Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Calabria". At the entrance there is the new Archaeological Museum of Capo Colonna, which shows artefacts found in the adjacent excavation area; the Antiquarium that exhibits finds dating back to the Iron Age and the Bronze Age, as well as underwater archaeological remains coming from the stretch of sea off Crotone and Capo Colonna and several architectural and archaeological artifacts along with remains related to the great Sanctuary of Hera Lacinia.

 

• The National Archaeological Museum of Crotone is housed in a building in the old town of Crotone, among the greater of Calabria for the abundance of exposed artefacts. Among the most important remains it is possible to admire the artefacts of the excavation of the ancient Kroton, of the sanctuaries of Heraion Lakinion and Hera Lacinia, the remains of the shipwreck of Punta Scifo and many others, all exhibited in a chronological order starting from the prehistoric age.

 

• Churches

          There is adequate number of churches for the guests to visit.

• Scifo Tower

          Ancient tower on the homonymous promontory where also it is possible thanks diving activities to observe the ancient Roman shipwreck            with a huge load of marbles blocks.

• The ancient town of Cirò

          A lot of architectural buildings, monuments and archaeological sites represent important touristic highlights. One of the greatest is the                Temple of Apollo Haleo, located in locality Punta Alice. Cirò is also famous for its wine.
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• Caccuri

          The  Medieval Day is held in August, where residents wear medieval clothing, reminding ancient traditions.

• Castelsilano

          Traditional donkey race in August.