July, 2010
Squillace is a city in Calabria, Southern Italy. It is situated near the Ionian Sea and has been known since past centuries as a center of wine, olive, silk, and particularly earthenware works production. It is here where the pignatari style of ceramic art was born. The word pignatari is derived from pignata which is an earthenware vessel used for cooking beans. The city dates all the way back to ancient times, making it one of the most important archeological sites in Italy.
Recently though, Squillace is becoming known to be a charming resort town. However, it has not yet reached the status of a package tour destination. Instead, the place is geared more towards the traveler seeking relaxation through local cuisine, sights, arts and culture.
Swimming in Squillaces waters is a delight as locals boast it to be one of the cleanest and clearest in Italy. Walking, hiking and mountain biking are other activities one can indulge in.
There are a number of sights one will encounter when exploring the city. These are the old village of Squillace, the Castle of Borgia, the Castellense of Cassiodorus, the Tenuta Castellesi, the old Graeco-Roman Theatre, and the archeological excavations of the Skilletion. Olive and citrus plantations also abound in the area, providing a charming scene sure to delight ones eyes. Among the plantations are country houses restored in the old Calabrian styles.
For those who want to really immerse in the Squillace lifestyle, one can participate in olive harvesting, citrus harvesting, oil and wine tasting, and pottery lessons with a ceramic master.
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The Calabria region of Italy is fast becoming the countrys newly discovered tourist spot of which the city of Cantanzaro is its capital. The city is highly urbanized but still characterized with traces of its ancient past. Parts of the region still retain their quaint rural appeal especially those situated in the coastal areas.
The height of the tourist season is during the summer months. Spring and autumn are also nice times to visit though the weather becomes a bit windier during these times. All in all, Catanzaro is blessed with a typical temperate Mediterranean climate perfect for walking and touring around.
Aside from its windy weather (Vento in Italian), Catanzaro is also known for its patron saint, San Vitaliano, and its iconic status as producer of fine velvet and silks since the time of the Byzantines. Due to these characteristics, Catanzaro is also known as the city of the three Vs.
Apart from the seaside activities and its cuisine, visitors will be delighted when they visit Catanzaros main sights. There are magnificent historical churches dating from the 10th through 16th centuries such as the Duomo, Church of the Santissimo Rosario, Church of Sant Omobono, Chiesa dell Osservanza, and the Basilica dell Immacolata. Other than the churches, historical structures like the Catanzaro Bridge, ruins of the Norman Castle, Piazza Grimaldi , the Palazzo de Nobili (now functions as Catanzaros Town Hall), and the Porta di S. Agostino and Porta di Strato. The last two are the gates that are all that remain from medieval walls that were demolished in 1805.
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Despite being one of the smallest comune in the Calabrian region of southern Italy, San Sostene can hold its own as an interesting place to visit. The area is known for its production of chestnuts, olive oil, and wine. The crystal clear water of its beaches is the primary tourist draw.
However, it is the traditions and festivals of the local townspeople that will hold the interest of those who decide to stick around a bit longer.
The biggest and most important of these traditions is the festival that celebrates the feast day of San Rocco, the patron saint of the country. Locals and pilgrims alike all gather to ask for intercessions from the Saint during this festival, which is held in August. The highlight of the festival is the Processione di San Rocco. This is a long procession where the statue of the saint is carried around the village and followed by the people. Other activities include concerts, cultural events, dances, fireworks, competitions, and a stage play on the life of San Rocco. The stage play is highly anticipated as all the actors are ordinary villagers who gamely take the stage and become actors for the night. They get help from a theater company from Milan who also provides the costumes and props.
Also worth participating in are the villages Christmas and New Year celebrations. During Christmas all the houses are dressed up and sweets are given out to guests and visitors. A live nativity scene is also set up by the locals. On New Years Eve, people take to the streets for a traditional procession with young children leading the way.
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Roccella Ionica is an Italian resort town characterized by its medieval past found on its hills and its present day modern center by the Ionian Sea. Located in Calabria Roccella Ionica, also known as Roccella Jonica, traces its origins back to the times of the Magna Grecia Colonies and is possibly built on top of the ancient Greek settlement of Amphissa. While the town is presently a top tourist draw, its economy also flourishes due to its olive and fishing industries.
Walking around town is enough to soak in its glorious past and vibrant present. Any tour of Roccella Ionica is not complete without stopping by the Angevin Castle and the Pizzofalcone Tower. The Angevin Castle was built during the 16th century, and was used to ward the town against Saracen attacks. The castle still continues to dominate the town and its surrounding landscape. The Pizzofalcone Tower is right by the immediate vicinity of the Angevin Castle and is another magnificent edifice dating back to the medieval times.
Swimming is another activity to indulge in when vacationing in Roccella Ionica. This town is blessed with a crystal clear sea.
If you plan to visit in July, make sure to attend and witness one of the towns traditions. Every first Sunday of the month of July, the town honors its patron saint Maria delle Grazie. The festivities start with a procession of a statue of the Madonna through the streets and ends with an equally enchanting procession of boats on the sea.
Finding a place to stay in Roccella is easy as there is a wide array of accommodation such as hotels, bread and breakfasts, inns, and holiday homes.
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Siderno is one of the many towns in the southern part of Italy within the province of Reggio Calabria. Brimming with a population of almost seventeen thousand inhabitants, this place is easily the most populated in the Calabria region. Home to one of the most beautiful coastlines, people from all over the world come to visit this place for many reasons. One of the primary tourist destinations in this area are the magnificent stretch of shoreline the looks out to the bluest of waters. Fresh sea air never seem to stop blowing about the land that visitors just keep on going back for more. Siderno is also home to one of the most remarkable of architectures that characterize so much of the traditional Italian living.
The area is divided into modern and historic sections; the modern division is called Siderno Marina situated near the beaches where locals and tourists alike mingle to experience one of the best things in the world, and that is sunshine and beaches. The older and more sparsely populated section is situated higher up on the mountains where a number of historical sites and wonders dotted the land as if the old world itself lives and breathes in the area.
Even though most of the townspeople have gone to the greener pastures of more job opportunities and services, the place still retains its stunning landscape and seaside areas for the every visitor’s satisfaction. Southern Italy from every angle is the best place to be; what with the warm days teeming with sunshine, and the excellent food and wine to feast on, no visitor is ever likely to forget the place sooner than necessary.
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Described in Homers Odyssey as the place where the sea monster resides and a menace for every sea voyagers, Scilla, is truly a town borne out of the art of poetry nestled in the southern part of Italy lying among the lavish wonders of Reggio Calabria. This rocky splendor lies just at the face of the Strait of Messina and is divided into two sections. The beach part referred to as Marina di Scilla is heavily populated by hotels and villas providing all sorts of accommodations for tourists who have come to marvel at the place. The downtown district is where the locals reside and go about the daily businesses. With about six thousand locals dominating the everyday scene of the land, combined with the great influx of tourists and beachgoers during the summer, Scilla have become one of the busiest and most populated of places in the regions of Calabria.
With rocky hilltops and cliffs overlooking the wide expanse of the Mediterranean Sea, this marvel of a place looks as if it was crafted by the finest of hands at a distance. Dominated by historic architectural designs, visitors from all around the world, wallow in the midst of this beauty while basking in the seemingly inexhaustible supply of sunshine and fresh air. At the topmost area of the stunning town of Scilla is the noble and imposing castle Ruffio. The ancient structure gives the place the nobility it deserves; the town stands to this day bearing the ancient world that has been even before the birth of Christ.
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Strategically located in the province of Messina just within the regions of Sicily in the southern part of Italy, Santa Domenica holds one of the many splendors of the south with its fresh breezes that tirelessly roam throughout the land, and pristine waters of the Mediterranean Sea which is just a few step away from the lush green valley and hills of the region. The whole town is about a thousand meter above sea level, giving a fantastic view of the sea and its deep blue waters. People who visit this place all year round meanders among the rolling landscapes or take a romantic walk along the white sands on the shoreline during sundown and at evenings with only the clear blue skies and the stars above to witness every especial moment.
Santa Domenica offers a variety of hotels and villas set about in places where the most stunning of views greets the visitors at any time of the day. People come here to not only to witness the unfolding of a paradise in front of the eyes but also to experience the fine all Italian ways of cooking their food and pairing them with the most exquisite of wines.
Santa Domenica also play host to one of southern Italy’s most illustrious feasts. The Feast of Saint Anthony which is originally on the seventeenth of January is celebrated instead in the month of September to cater to the greater influx of tourists in that time of the year and to savor the richness of the sunlight streaming through the land.
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Nestled within the striking regions of Calabria, southern Italy, Bratico is another picturesque community within the province of Vibo Valentia. The main attraction of this town is in the scenic landscapes and the lush green valleys and rolling hills together with the most excellent coastal areas in the world that provides visitors of fun adventures, that involves mountain hiking and walking through cliffs overlooking a paradise of white sandy beaches full of the glamour of the sunshine illuminating the deep blue waters.
All throughout the year in Bratico, together with many other southern Italian getaways, is blessedly warmed by the sun with only a little rainfall that turns the days humid during winter. Summers is where just about any visitor from every corner of the earth visit the land and enjoy the promises of a life spent beside southern Italys most exquisite shorelines that provides romantic walks on the white sand and adventurous activities deep within the waters or sailing along the Mediterranean Sea looking out on a wide expanse of elevated land gloriously splashed with green vegetation and architectural marvels.
All around Bratico tourists could avail of hotel and villas that provides the all original southern Italian recipes no other place in the world could reproduce. Homegrown Italian tastes and aromas paired with the locally produced wines from their very own vineyards, no place else can provide the lifestyle unique only to these people who has been cultivating the land of southern Italy for so many years and has inherited the many traditions that has come and gone and preserving one of the world’s most celebrated of cultures.
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Southern Italy is renowned all throughout the world for its beauty and splendor that explores the many faces if the Mediterranean Sea. Joppolo is just but one of the many communities that lines the south regions of Italy having about only two thousand residents that gives life to original classic Italian lifestyle. People visit this place for the sheer beauty of its landscape and the relaxed atmosphere of a land eternally warmed and nourished by the sun.
Joppolo is one those places in southern Italy where exploration of the nature is most relaxing and appropriate. Numerous hotels have been built for travelers to wants to experience the luxury of seaside adventures, and fine dining which features homegrown delicacies, complete with the all too irresistible aroma of fresh Italian herbs and dishes. Hotels feature all the amenities every city hotel offers to tourists, from pools nestled just a few steps away from the shoreline and to fitness equipments and banquets bedecked with the lavish tastes of the local wines.
The rolling landscapes of Joppolo complete with verdant plantations is also suitable for walking expeditions around hills and cliff tops that showcases the natural wonders of the land. Marine life is so rich in this place that diving into the deep and shallow waters of the region is one of the tourists favorite past times. People while away their lazy hours just lying around the surface of white sandy beaches and basking in sunshine and the fresh breezes that tirelessly go around the land.
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Capo Vaticano is host to a variety of marine ecosystems that provide most of the fun while staying in the rural regions of Calabria in the southern part of Italy. Tourism has flourished in the region that brought out an abundance of hotels and bed and breakfasts that welcomes every weary traveler. One will also find that the locals within the municipality are quite enthusiastic to have other people marveling at their own homeland. The food is exquisite which features a variety of fresh Italian herbs and seafood so tastefully made that no visitor is ever likely to resist the tempting aromas of the region.
Capo which means cape in English is one the famous characters of the land which is granite in a curious white-gray color that covers particular areas of the region in prolific numbers. Capo Vaticano is home to the most beautiful beaches in the world that is almost a paradise in its pristine white sands and deep blue green color of the sea waters the glimmers inexhaustibly underneath the wonderful glare of Southern Italian sunlight.
Locally made wine and olive oils are also one of the priceless and most notable commodities of the land. People come here not only to experience the southern Italian way of living but also to glory in its food and wine that defines their very traditions that goes along way back into time.
Capo Vaticano, because of the booming tourism, has plenty to offer to its visitors that range from the bounty their unique lifestyle offers to the fun adventures to take around their rocky terrains.
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Zambrone is one of those southern Italian landscapes that offer breathtaking views of rolling hills and dignified architectural marvels unique only to the provinces of Italy. Located within the region of Calabria, in the province of Vibo Valentia, this quaint little town is bedecked with tourists every year lazing around the warm sunshine and enjoying the pristine beaches and laid down aura of the green landscapes and sea breezes. With only about two thousand people staying among the land, the community is the perfect getaway for people in search of peace and quiet.
Zambrone is a hot spot to hotels offering the luxuries of a southern Italian accommodation. These hotels are expertly situated where people can marvel at the beauty of the landscape at any time of the day, from sunset to sundown. Also home to the world’s most sumptuous cuisines, tourist from all around the globe make it a point not to miss the colors and aroma and the irresistible taste of fresh produce harvested from the very soil of southern Italy.
People from all walks of life celebrate every single day of their sojourn in this southern part of Italy out on the warm sunny mornings that goes right up to the peaceful evenings where only the moon and stars provide the distant lights. Zambrone provides a variety of activities for the family and whether it is amongst the waters of their famous beaches of out sightseeing amidst their wonderful scenery with seemingly endless stretch of robust trees and vineyards and plantations that provides an adventure one will not likely soon to forget.
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Gizzeria is a small settlement fifty kilometers away from the province of Catanzaro in Calabria situated in the dreamy southern part of the Italian Coast. This part of Italy offers visitors their share of luxurious rolling hills overlooking the glazed image of the Gulf of Sant’Eumphemia. It has a population of about four thousand people that keeps their well loved traditions and beliefs alive. Spanning eight kilometers of sandy shoreline, Gizzeria beaches are just about the ideal getaway for people seeking for an adventure onto their precious Mediterranean Sea waters, over cliff tops or underneath the abundance of sunlight and undulating landscape. It offers a picturesque view of valleys dotted with their very own distinctive architectural marvels, and the immeasurable splendor of fiery sunsets illuminating the land with an unnatural glow before it finally plunges the whole world into a peaceful darkness disturbed only by the gentle lapping of waters on the seashore.
Gizzeria is also one of those southern Italian towns that cultivate their own vineyards and tourists could go about wine tasting or visiting the wide expanse of olive plantations. Most of the visitors that seek this kind of rural vacation bask on the relaxed and laid down atmosphere offered by the southern Italians. Homegrown cuisine and their very own delectable mixture of fresh herb and spices are most renowned in this area and the townspeople are experts in concocting their very own distinguished cooking. Their kitchen expertise is a balance of the many ingredients cultivated on their very own fertile lands, the there are also other influences such as those of the Arabs, Cistercian monks, and that of the French.
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