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Archeoderi Archaeological Park holds significant evidence of Calabria's history, a place of worship identified as an ancient Synagogue.
The land of Calabria, with its thousands-years-old history, has been visited by all the Mediterranean peoples. All of them have found means of sustenance here, leaving behind traces of their presence.The Jews deserve special mention.
Traces of Jewish Settlements in Calabria
The Jews deserve special mention. Their presence in Calabria is evidenced by numerous references, in documents and in the many household tools found almost everywhere in the region. But the most amazing proof of their presence, and a visitor’s must, are the monumental traces of a Jewish settlement preserved in Archeoderi Archaeological Park, in Bova Marina.These Jews lived stably in this most southern tip of Italy, where they also built a synagogue. The remains of this Synagogue came to light during excavations triggered by accident. The patterns and depictions of a mosaic floor have allowed archaeologists to identify this place of worship as a Synagogue.
Archeoderi and the Oldest Synagogue in Italy, after the one in Ostia
This is the oldest Synagogue in Italy, after the one in Ostia: dating back to the 4th century A.D., its mosaics depict typical Jewish worship items a seven-branched candelabrum, a ram’s horn, Solomon’s knot, a cedar. But what was a synagogue doing in the deepest part of Calabria?
San Pasquale – the site where it was built – is a bay with very ancient traces of human settlements. In this site there used to be shrines of other cults as well. It was thus an important place, where the presence of man was closely linked to the benevolence of deities. In this place in Roman times there was a rest station; finds of Italic inhabitants before the Greeks have been found here; the name ‘Deri’ itself suggests the toponym ‘Delia’, a city of which no traces have yet been found.
What is certain is that a sea current flowing from Alexandria to Egypt and crossing the Mediterranean reaches this very part of the coast. Its natural position might have made it the logical site for a Jewish settlement, perhaps of Alexandrian Jews, who used it as a landing point before sailing off again to the Western and Northern Mediterranean.
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Reggio Calabria
Reggio Calabria is located at the tip of the 'Boot', on the slopes of the Aspromonte Park, on the eastern shore of the Strait of Messina, from which it enjoys spectacular views of Sicily, Mount Etna and the Aeolian Islands. Traditionally called the City of Fata Morgana because the rare optical-mythological phenomenon of the Fata Morgana occurs here, during which the Sicilian coast seems to be only a few metres away, making it possible to distinguish houses, cars and people very well. Reggio is well known for its famous Riace Bronzes, a symbol of its Magna Graecia origins. National Archaeological Museum: considered one of the most important museums of Magna Graecia (MARC), it houses the well-known Riace Bronzes, the two sublime warrior figures that represent the ideal image of classical Greek culture, in which the naturally perfect human body becomes a manifestation of the harmony of the universe. Lungomare Falcomatà: defined by Gabriele D'Annunzio as "the most beautiful kilometre in Italy", it is populated by palm trees, magnolias, flowers and exotic plants that form a long botanical garden and an ideal setting for events and shows of all kinds.
The avenue is adorned with Art Nouveau buildings and enriched by elements that indirectly trace the city's history, such as numerous memorials, a monumental fountain and some archaeological sites, evidence of Greco-Roman antiquity. Corso Garibaldi: bustling and full of shops, the city's main artery represents the new face of the city. The Cathedral of Reggio Calabria: it is the largest church in Calabria with its white and bright façade, punctuated by half-columns, enlivened by mullioned windows with two lights and small arches, decorated with rose windows and reliefs. Inside, the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament represents with its polychrome marble the most significant expression of Reggino baroque. The Aragonese Castle: of very ancient origin, today only the two cylindrical crenellated towers remain, giving it its characteristic 'Aragonese' appearance.
The Riace Bronzes are located at the MARC in Reggio Calabria
Discovery and Recovery of the Riace Bronzes: the modern history of the two Bronzes began on 16 August 1972, when the Carabinieri recovered two bronze statues on the seabed off the coast of Porto Forticchio di Riace Marina – on the Ionian coast of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria – acting on a report by a diver from Rome, Stefano Mariottini. Near the site where the Bronzes had been lying there were no other ancient artefacts that might have held some clues as to how they had ended up there in the first place. This was the beginning of the great mystery of the Riace Warriors, yet to be solved.
Porto Forticchio where the Riace Bronzes were found
Rescue operations were coordinated from Porto Forticchio by Giuseppe Foti, then the head of the Direction for Archaeological Heritage of Calabria. Porto Forticchio is an ancient port, with traces of an ancient breakwater and a tower from the Angevin period built on one of the surrounding hills. The tower used to serve as a tax post for goods entering the Kingdom of Sicily by sea.
Restorations of Bronzes. Their transfer to Florence
After some initial restoration work conducted at the Museum of Reggio, in January 1975 the two Bronzes were moved to Florence, where they were entrusted to the hands and care of two restorers, Renzo Giachetti and Edilberto Formigli. It took them a whole year to thoroughly clean the statues and acquire basic data about them. Restoration works at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence lasted 5 years.
The Bronzes were finally shown to the public in an exhibition held at the Archaeological Museum of Florence, from 15 December 1980 through 24 June of the following year. The exhibition enjoyed tremendous success, so much so that Sandro Pertini, then President of Italy, asked for the two statues to stop in Rome, at the Quirinale, between 29 June and 12 July 1981, on their way back to Reggio. The two bronzes gained enormous popularity and success both in Rome and then back ‘home’ at the National Museum of Magna Graecia in Reggio.
Other two restorations in Reggio Calabria
As already observed during the first restoration works, the presence of molding sand inside the two statues has always been their main problem. This sand, like a sponge, had been absorbing brackish water for centuries, which it kept releasing, thus contributing to gradual and constant bronze decay. To overcome this problem, two different restoration sites were set up in Reggio: one, at the Museum, between 1992 and 1995, where innovative mechanical equipment was employed; and a second one at the headquarters of the Calabria Regional Council between 2010 and 2013, when the bronzes were completely emptied of any old clay they would still contain. After this process, both statues lost half the weight they had when discovered.
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Gerace
Defined as one of the 'most beautiful villages in Italy', Gerace is one of the most historically rich centres in Calabria and Italy, where history, legend and myth coexist timelessly. Entering the town, one first encounters the Borgo, with its ceramists' workshops carved out of the tufa rock, and then reaches the historic centre, which preserves highly suggestive views and architectural gems. A village to be discovered and savoured, where Gerace's charm and art continue along the small squares, narrow streets, walls of houses and buildings full of history. Visit the Mediaeval Cathedral - The largest church in the whole of Calabria, built in the late Byzantine period and completed in the early Norman age. The grandiose and evocative interior, in the shape of a Latin cross, is divided into three naves by two rows of 10 columns, some of which come from Locri Epizefiri and differ in quality, type and size. The crypt where the Museum of the Treasury is located is very suggestive. Mediaeval Church of San Francesco - Built in 1252 and located in the picturesque Piazza delle tre Chiese (Three Churches Square), the Church of San Francesco offers visitors a beautiful altar entirely inlaid in marble, as well as a mediaeval sarcophagus by Nicola Ruffo.
The beautiful Gothic entrance portal is beautifully crafted. Medieval castle - Built in the 12th century, the castle is located in the highest part of the ancient village from where it dominates all the valleys around Gerace. Byzantine Churches of San Giovannello and dell'Annunziata - Located in the picturesque Piazza delle Tre Chiese (the third church is that of San Francesco), they originate from the Byzantine period. The roof of the Church of the Annunziata made of local majolica is significant. Chiesa Santa Maria del Mastro - Solemn and austere in its volumes, this church with a central plan, stands in the evocative Piazza della Repubblica, in the Borgo maggiore, at the entrance to Gerace. Le "Bombarde" - Gerace's promenade, created in the vegetable garden of the Ancient Convent of Sant'Anna now used as a hotel. The medieval gates - Gerace had twelve gates, four of which still exist and are Porta dei vescovi or della meridiana (leaning against the Cathedral), Porta di Santa Lucia, Porta maggiore and Porta del sole. Piazza del Tocco - the city's main square, so called because this was where the loggia where business was done was located. Here stands the Town Hall.
Locri Epizephyrii Archaeological Park is located in Locride, one of the most attractive tourist sites, after the Grecanic area, both for its landscapes and history.
This area has been inhabited since the Iron Age, as documented by the discovery of numerous chamber tombs in several inland necropolises. Here, Greek settlers experimented with forms of peaceful coexistence –i.e., in Gerace – or of harsh confrontation – i.e., in Roccella, where archaeological evidence was found of violent clashes with native populations. The ancient colony of Locri ended up ruling over a very large area, which, from the coasts of the lower Ionian Sea, would establish and rule over colonies as far as the Tyrrhenian side slopes of Aspromonte.
La casa dei Leoni (House of the Lions)
In the south-eastern part of the city, in the Centocamere district, you can visit an early 5th century BC shrine dedicated to Aphrodite, later incorporated into a wealthy 4th-3rd century BC house, the so-called House of the Lions. According to archaeologists, the house was a shrine dedicated to Adonis. A little farther on, there is a U-shaped portico, with many votive wells. It might have been a guesthouse for pilgrims or a place for sacred prostitution. Next to it there is the Centocamere quarter, protected by a wall segment and two gates, dating from the Hellenistic period. In this area, there are numerous, even large-sized kilns of different types.
Casino Macrì
Going west, you will first find the Casino Macrì, a large 19thcentury manor house that incorporates a Roman bath, whose frigidarium overlapped a block of the Greek city, with the remains of a street and some dwellings. Later, between the 2ndand 6th century AD, the area of the Casino was used for residential housing. Walking farther down, you arrive in Petrara, the Roman town of Locri, with houses, streets, and the city forum.
Theater of Locri
On the slopes of the Cusemi hill, a little higher than Dromo, you can visit the Greco-Roman theatre of Locri, built around mid 4th century B.C.. In Roman times, it was adapted to hold shows featuring gladiators fighting ferocious beasts. The lower rows were removed in order to erect a wall to protect the audience. During this renovation, also perimetral walls were built to contain the cavea, and wooden poles were driven into the ground to erect a velum roof to hide spectators from the sun.
Scilla and the village of Chianalea
One of Calabria's most beautiful and characteristic seaside villages in Italy, situated between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the slopes of Aspromonte and with a spectacular view of the Strait of Messina and the Aeolian Islands. And at sunset, the incredibly clear sea takes on those incredible hues that have earned this stretch of coastline the name Costa Viola. The main economic activity is obviously tourism; fishing, particularly swordfish, remains important. Cereals, olives, citrus fruits, wine and fruit are produced, sheep farming and cattle and pig breeding are practised; the forest industry and handicrafts are developed. Worth seeing. Chianalea, a historic fishermen's district, literally lying on the surface of the water: a single long jasmine-scented alley winds between the houses perched on the rocks and battered by the Tyrrhenian Sea during winter storms. The Ruffo Castle in Scilla, built in the 14th century on the remains of a Basilian monastery with anti-Saracen functions, was the residence of the ancient and noble Calabrian Ruffo family. Its churches: the 16th century Church of San Francesco da Paola, the Mother Church of the Spirito Santo, an example of 18th century Baroque style, the Church of the Immacolata and the Church of the patron saint San Rocco.
Stilo
Stilo, on the slopes of Mount Consolino, was the birthplace of Tommaso Campanella. One of the most representative centres of history and culture in the whole of Calabria. Villages, churches, monuments and the cathedral known as Cattolica, a unique example of Byzantine art. Events include the Palio di Ribusa, a historical re-enactment. This spectacular medieval village is also famous for the celebrated Cattolica di Stilo, a true jewel of Byzantine art and architecture, a UNESCO heritage site, set in the living rock in one of the most beautiful and panoramic points of the town, from which one can admire the Stilaro valley and the sunny village, which, as in a Guttuso painting, presents itself with houses with their roofs covered by the characteristic 'ceramides' between the green of the prickly pears and the blue of the sea. The historical centre also offers us fine works such as the Cathedral (13th century), with a beautiful Gothic portal with small smooth and twisted columns and elegant Romanesque bas-reliefs, the 'Fountain of the Dolphins' of clear oriental matrix, the majestic Convent of San Domenico, the medieval Porta Stefanina, the church of San Francesco one of the most beautiful churches of the Calabrian 18th century, the church of San Giovanni Therestis stupendous Baroque achievement and many beautiful views.
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Monasterace Marina Archaeological Park and Caulonia Museum
The Majestic Doric Temple of Monasterace
The discovery of the ancient Achaean colony of Kaulon is due to the work of the great archaeologist Paolo Orsi. He was the first, in the early 20th century, to identify the site in today’s Punta Stilo, just north of modern Monasterace Marina. During the construction of the Punta Stilo lighthouse, architectural terracotta was found at the base of the hill where the lighthouse was to be built.
Today, the site is home to the Monasterace Marina Archaeological Park. This site features a remarkable amount of finds visible on the surface, including a majestic Doric temple, dating back to the 5th century B.C., with a perfectly preserved sandstone basement. The building – 41 metres long by 18.20 metres wide – featured a cella with a pronaos, a front entrance portico, and stairs going up to the roof made of marble tiles from Paros.
Monasterace’s Unique Mosaics
This Archaeological Park also has a museum exhibition reconstructing the history of the ancient colony. Of particular note are two uniquely beautiful mosaics, both depicting a dragon. One of them, with its 25 square metres surface, is thought to be one of the largest mosaics ever found in Europe. Other artefacts of considerable interest are the ‘Tabula Cauloniensis’ – a tablet dedicated to Zeus dating back to the 5th century B.C. and written in the Achaean alphabet –, as well as numerous silver coins. As a matter of fact, the polis of Kaulon was the first in the world to mint coins with this precious metal, which at the time was mined in the hinterland Stilaro valley.
Submerged Ancient Kaulon
Archeological artefacts that have emerged due to coastal erosion have spurred underwater excavation campaigns, that have exposed the site of the submerged ancient Kaulon. Numerous architectural elements were found, including finely decorated column shafts from Doric-style temples and buildings.
The beaches
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- Last Updated on Friday, 23 February 2024 14:16
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THE BEACHES
Calabria, with its 800 km of coastline, attracts more and more tourists every year. The morphology of the Calabrian coastline, from the finest sand to the cliffs, the numerous free beaches, and the uncontaminated and wild coastline, offer many opportunities for bathing. A holiday by the sea in Calabria offers many opportunities to choose from, where the combination of crystal-clear sea, seaside villages, unspoilt beaches, and proximity to mountain ranges takes on a unique aspect in the whole of Italy. The beaches of the Grecanica area are on the Ionian Sea and face Sicily, from which they are separated by the Strait of Sicily. the panorama on the horizon, as for the villages, is Mount Etna, They are mostly free beaches, close to the railway, and close to the coastal centre and services, easily accessible and little frequented, ideal for those seeking peace, tranquillity and contact with nature.
THE TARTANET OF BRANCALEONE MARINA
Brancaleone Marina beach represents the ideal environment for turtle nesting, as it is one of the most regular and productive nesting sites for Caretta Caretta. The Brancaleone Sea Turtle Recovery Centre monitors nesting sites, recovers and cares for accidentally captured specimens also through summer weeks dedicated to juveniles. Moreover, with the involvement of fishermen, it conducts experimentation and the application of low-impact fishing systems.
The Grecanic village
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The Grecanici villages mentioned are located in the mountains, are cultural and natural attractions, still have people living there, and can be reached from Bova. The Grecanici municipalities on the coast (Bova Marina, Brancaleone Marina, Palizzi Marina, Condofuri Marina, San Lorenzo Marina, Melito di Porto Salvo...) are not mentioned here because they are new settlements, where the main tourist attraction is the beaches and the sea.
Village of Gallicianò (Municipality of Condofuri)
Gallicianò is defined as the Acropolis of Magna Graecia: it is a small centre located in the heart of Aspromonte, perched on the promontories of the Grecanica area that overlooks the right slope of the Fiumara Amendolea and, together with Bova, preserves the historical memory of the Greeks of Calabria: the Grecanica language, the art of broom weaving, of wood carving according to Byzantine forms. It is a hamlet of the municipality of Condofuri, a place frozen in time: forty inhabitants in a cluster of houses on the rocks overlooking the Fiumara Amendolea. Among the narrow alleys one can still hear people speak in Grecanico and the toponymy is indeed bilingual, as in Bova. Although the Greek language is mainly used in an increasingly domestic environment, thanks to its structural isolation Gallicianò has kept intact its cultural, craft, musical and religious traditions and has developed in its inhabitants a strong spirit of togetherness and hospitality, characteristics peculiar to the Greeks of Calabria. In Gallicianò there is the Orthodox Church of Panaghìa tis Elladas (Our Lady of the Greeks) where services are celebrated in the Greek Orthodox rite. Despite being sparsely populated, Gallicianò is a village in ferment, recognised as the 'capital' of music, which together with singing and dancing constitutes an authentic art for the inhabitants of Gallicianò, cultivated and handed down from father to son since ancient times. Many are the cultural tourists who visit it, staying overnight and tasting the Greek Calabrian food and wine in the village's typical inns. In the village is the Ethnographic Museum dedicated to Angela Bogasari Merianoù, the Greek philosopher who came to Gallicianò in the 1970s to discover this small community with which she shared her origins. In Gallicianò, those who live there are proud of their land of Magna Graecia origins and ready to tell their story as they accompany the visitor through the streets of the village and let him quench his thirst at the Fountain of Love (Cannalo Tis Agapi) and rest in the small open-air amphitheatre, dedicated to Bartholomew I, Patriarch of Constantinople, who visited the village, overlooking the magnificent landscape of the Bovesìa where the Amendolea Castle rises in the distance.
Village of Staiti
A characteristic medieval village, with houses arranged in terraces and the historical centre crossed by a dense tangle of narrow streets, Staiti rises about 12 kilometres from the coast in the Aspromonte Park, surrounded by a real natural rock barrier that, in past centuries, proved to be an excellent protection against pirate raids. It was founded as Casale di Brancaleone, around 1500, by farmers and shepherds; it took its name from the Staiti family, who exercised feudal rule over it. The parish church of medieval origin, dedicated to Santa Maria della Vittoria in memory of the victory of the Christians over the Muslims in the Battle of Lepanto, restored in 1967, houses a marble Madonna and Child by Gagini. In the area stands the Abbey of Santa Maria dei Tridetti, a Byzantine church whose origin is uncertain: legend has it that a temple dedicated by the Locrians to Poseidon, god of the sea, existed on the site, information supported by the discovery of a coin with the god depicted. Between the 7th and 8th centuries, on the same site, Basilian monks founded a Greek church in honour of Our Lady of the Trident (a clear allusion to the sea deity), later passed down in Tridetti through the dialect. The church is first mentioned in a document from 1060. Also worth seeing are the ruins of a monastery, dating back to the year 1000, inhabited by the first Basilian monks who took refuge on Aspromonte. Recently established, the Museum of the Italo-Greek Saints of Staiti, with its collection of Byzantine icons, is the real pearl of the village, and is intended to be the completion of a journey to recover the community's Greek Orthodox traditions.
Village of San Lorenzo superiore
San Lorenzo supriore is a small and extremely charming municipality of Byzantine origin, in which Greek was still spoken until the first half of the 18th century. Although today it is sparsely inhabited, it was, together with Bova, one of the most important municipalities in the region in the area between Reggio Calabria and Locri. In the history of united Italy, when Garibaldi landed in Melito Porto Salvo, the village welcomed Garibaldi's fugitives after their failed attempt to conquer the Altafiumara fort, protecting them from the Bourbons and allowing them to continue the liberation of southern Italy. The symbol of San Lorenzo is a centuries-old elm tree, located in the square that houses the church. It is a rarity from a botanical point of view, as no comparable specimens of this tree are known in the whole of southern Italy. he Protopapal Church and the Dittereale Church are dedicated to Santa Maria Nives and Santa Maria della Caramia respectively. Two treasures of Byzantine origin that bear witness to the passage of various conquering peoples. Important works are kept in the Protopapale church: the marble statue of Santa Maria della Neve, attributed to Gagini, and the wooden statue of San Lorenzo. Every 12 August, a procession carries an ancient Byzantine icon from San Lorenzo to San Pantaleone at the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Cappella.
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Village of Roccaforte del Greco
In Greek Vunì, meaning mountain or mountain, Roccaforte del Greco sits on a steep hill that offers a 360° panoramic view of the entire Amendolea Valley. The village arose in the orbit of the Holy Trinity monastery, the innermost Byzantine outpost, near punta d'Atò, Greek for 'peak of the eagle'. The village church, dedicated to San Rocco, houses a statue of the Madonna and Child, made after the Latinisation of the Bova diocese. Positioned on three rocky ridges, the village dominates the Amendolea valley. The old part houses the Town Hall, right where, according to popular memory, the castle that later collapsed stood near the precipice. Surrounding it are the Castello district, the Borgo district and the San Carlo district, the latter now almost uninhabited.
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Village of Bagaladi
The village of Bagaladi is located in the Valle del Tuccio, an area strongly linked to Calabria's Greek Orthodox past. In fact, in this area, which is also overlooked by the Borgo di San Lorenzo Superiore, there are small hamlets and districts that have Greek names, such as Chorio and Musupuniti, and names of typically Byzantine saints such as San Pantaleone and San Fantino. Bagaladi is not only one of the two gateways to the Greek Aspromonte National Park (the other is Bova), but it is also a small municipality resulting from the mixture of many cultures, starting with its name, which seems to be of Arab-Greek origin. Known for its numerous olive groves that enrich its agriculture and make the landscape of unparalleled beauty, it is important for the production of a special harvested olive oil that is the livelihood of much of its population. Bagaladi is situated on a hill at the foot of Mount San'Angelo, and lays its roots, dating back to the 10th century, in a place that was home to numerous Basilian monasteries such as the Badìa di San Teodoro, very close to the town, the Monastery of Sant'Angelo, San Fantino and San Michele. Around 1500, the village took its current name, a name that is the subject of historical disputes as to its derivation. Many maintain that it comes from the Arabic 'Baha-Allah', meaning beauty that comes from God,later mispronounced as Vadalà, the surname of a family that used to reside here. In the Calabrian Greek language, in fact, the suffix -adi is given as belonging to a family. Others trace it back to the great oil production, a mixture of Latin and Greek terms such as 'bag' or 'vallum-val' and 'aladi' meaning oil in modern Greek, and therefore Valle dell'olio.
Village of Motta San Giovanni
The term 'motta' once indicated a fortified centre erected on the top of a cliff, inaccessible and at the same time panoramic. The origin of Motta San Giovanni is, however, uncertain, although the village developed around 1500, probably after the destruction of the S. Niceto fortress, of which interesting ruins remain. The original nucleus of the fortress was built at the beginning of the 11th century; it was then recorded as a 'castrum' in the Angevin registers of 1268 and, in the following year, was listed among the 19 castles of the Regia Curia. Numerous works were carried out by the Aragonese and in 1459 it was annexed to Reggio. The irregular plan of the enclosure delimits a vast area with numerous ruins in which an escarpment tower serving as a donjon, a building leaning against the walls, a central palace and a sacred building can be seen. Significant are the remains of the curtain wall with slightly protruding towers and the entrance gate between two square towers.
Motta San Giovanni has always been known for the craftsmanship of Reggina stone: a sedimentary limestone rock widely used in construction called 'Pietra di Lazzaro'.
Ghost villages
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- Last Updated on Friday, 23 February 2024 14:02
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Village of Pentedattilo (municipaly of Melito Porto Salvo)
Vilage of Roghudi Vecchio
Situated on the southern slopes of Aspromonte in Greek Calabria, the village of Roghudi Vecchio - inhabited by people of the Grecanica ethnic group - was completely abandoned following two very strong floods in 1971 and 1973, dates on which the village, until then the municipal seat, was declared totally uninhabitable. The scenery is breathtaking. The village, surrounded by mountains, lies at a height of more than 500 m. on the crest of a hill, which rises in the middle of the fiumara Amendolea. A short distance away are two noteworthy geological formations: the milk cauldrons and the Rocca del Drago. These rocks have been shaped over time by wind, rain and ice to become curious natural monuments.
Village of Brancaleone Superiore
In the Middle Ages it was a fortified village and belonged to various feudal lords, but it is now almost completely abandoned due to the floods and landslides that struck it. Brancaleone Superiore was a place of literary inspiration, in particularly significant pages for the writer Cesare Pavese, who was sent to confinement precisely in Brancaleone by the fascist regime (1935-1936). To be seen, in the silence of the ghost town and in the neighbouring areas:
The 'New Church' of 1939 with a Latin cross plan.
The caves, probably the remains of a monastic complex.
The ruins of the village, with the remains of the ancient church of the Annunziata (1500).
A small rupestrian church, with a Byzantine fresco, still in use today.
Village of Africo Vecchio
The name seems to derive from afrikos, meaning 'exposed to the sun', or from the name of a libeccio wind. The site of Africo Vecchio was abandoned following the floods of 1951 and 1953, which forced the local population to leave the mountain and set up a new settlement by the sea, near Bianco, where today's Africo Nuovo stands. In the old town, which can be reached by taking the road that connects Bova to Campi di Bova, is the small church of San Leo, a small rectangular building of Basilian origin, rebuilt in the 17th century.