Welcome to Calabria!

Reggio Calabria
Catanzaro
Cosenza
Crotone
Vibo Valentia

Southern Italy (est. pop. 2,070,401) 5,822 sq mi (15,079 sq km)

Home to magnificent high, rugged mountains, Calabria is filled with snow until the end of May. Unlike neighboring Basilicata, Calabria has wooded areas where flowers bloom and wildlife and greenery abound. The region boasts some of the cleanest water on the whole Italian coastline due to the lack of pollutant development in the area.

Chestnuts, olives, citrus trees, almonds, and figs all grow well in Calabria's subtropical climate. A species of orange that grows only in Calabria, called arancia calabrese, is prized for its skin, which is boiled and candied, and sent all over Italy for use in fruitcake and pastries.

Calabria produces one-third of Italy's olive oil and is second after Sicily in the production of oranges, figs, and cedri limes. Eggplant is the leader of the vegetable crop, and Calabrians eat it in varied ways: sauteed in olive oil with garlic and parsley; coated in egg and bread crumbs and fried; and stuffed with salted anchovies and bread crumbs. Sweet peppers, artichokes, zucchini, onions, mushrooms are also ubiquitous. As in Basilicata, chili is the spice of choice here.

Although the Ionian Sea and the Gulf of Taranto are rich in tuna, swordfish, sardines, and anchovies, mountain cooking dominates the cuisine, and pork reigns supreme in this poor man's country. There are countless salamis and sausages, as well as all manner of homemade pastas. Ever-popular Pecorino is made by every family that owns a sheep. The luxury of sweets is usually reserved for holidays.

The food of Calabria the simple way.

The food of Calabria is simple: pastas and vegetables, complimented by olive oil and sausages. Think of various shapes of dried pasta like spaghetti or penne topped with colorful sauces with combinations of tomatoes, eggplant and peppers. Combine that with spicy dried salame or other sausages such as pork sopressata or smoked capocollo and you pretty much sum up the cuisine of Calabria. All these ingredients frequently make their way into hearty soups. The result is what we in America now think of as a "Mediterranean" diet.

Throughout Italy, and especially in southern regions like Calabria, homemakers create frittatas as a means of using up leftovers. A frittata is usually described as an open-faced omelette where the fillings are cooked inside (as opposed to a French omelette, where fillings are rolled inside thin egg pancakes). I also think of a frittata as a quiche without a crust. However you describe it, it requires eggs and whatever other ingredients you choose, cooked together in a saute pan. In most regions, the "other" ingredients are vegetables, meat or seafood. In Calabria and other southern regions, pasta is frequently included.

The wines of Calabria include only local wines and not often exported.

Reggio Calabria

Reggio Calabria is the most highly populated city in the Calabrian Region (around 180.000 inhabitants) and is situated on the southern tip of the region on the eastern side of the Straits of Messina and opposite the city of Messina to which it is closely linked.

Calabria is a region in the southern part of Italy. With only 9 percent of flat land, most of Calabria is comprised of hills and mountains. Unlike many places that are frequented by tourists, Calabria does not possess a multitude of historic and constructed tourist attractions. Calabria does not have the many tourist spots that the whole of Italy has. Though, there are also ancient bridges, churches, and castles what Calabria boasts for is the pure and real beauty of the place and its dwellers.

While all the bigger cities and provinces in Italy have updated to the modern civilization, Calabria with remnants of the magnificent ancient civilization still offer the old warm captivating appeal to the gallant sightseer. The unpolluted air and clean water are such a sight to behold for anyone who visits Calabria. Aside form the coastline and mountains that primarily draw tourists in Calabria, the warm and cordial character evident to Calabrians add to the real beauty of the place

Reggio Calabria is a very ancient settlement and clear traces of the Roman and Greek period are visible. It was under Arab domination during the X Century, and became a Norman colony towards the middle of the XI Century. The Church of “Santa Maria di Terreti” dates from this period; it was damaged by the 1908 earthquake, and some of its remains are preserved in the church of the “Ottimati” and in the National Museum of Magna Graecia.

From the XII century onwards the city was subjected to Swabian, Angevin and Aragonese domination. In the XVI century it came under Spanish rule until the War of the Spanish Succession which brought about the end of the viceroyalty. Then began the period of Burbon domination which continued, with brief interruptions (the Napoleonic occupation), until 1861; in this year the Peninsula was united as the Kingdom of Italy.

Rebuilt many times after the numerous earth tremors which devastated its urban structure, the last one being the catastrophic quake in 1908, today Reggio Calabria has a modern urban layout. The city centre, entirely redesigned according to the Post Earthquake Reconstruction Plan, is based on a grid pattern, along orthogonal axes which extend inland from the coast line. Hence the architecture of the inner city dates mainly from the first decades of the XX century, with interesting examples of the following styles: Art Nouveau, neo-Gothic (the Zerbi Villa ), neo-Classic (the Municipal Theatre), eclectic ( the Mazzitelli House), and what is usually called “Fascist” (the central station, the National Museum of Magna Graecia designed by Piacentini, the former headquarters of the Young Fascists).

Moreover in the urban setting a number of other buildings are of interest namely the Aragonese Castle, in the upper part of the city, the Cathedral completely rebuilt following the 1908 earthquake, the afore mentioned Church of the “Ottimati”, the Church of “Santa Maria della Cattolica”, the “Graziella” Church (XVII century), which partially survived the 1908 quake.

The city is also the site of a National Museum, which is second only to the Berlin Museum for its vast and significant collection of Magna Graecian remains, including the “Bronze Warriors” and the “Philosopher’s head”. As previously stated Reggio Calabria is a city on the sea.

The seaside esplanade, described by the Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio as the “finest mile in Italy”, faces the island of Sicily and offers one of the most important botanical gardens with a variety of tropical plants and India rubber trees (Ficus Elastica) which are nearly a century old. Behind the city rises the Aspromonte massif , which reaches 1800 metres and includes the skiing centre of Gambarie. Moving north along the coast you come to Scilla, linked to the Homeric legend. This is an ancient fishing village; the harbour area is known as Chianalea, which is the oldest and most picturesque quarter. It is built in the shadow of the rock rising from the sea and is very well preserved. In the upper part of the town there is the castle of the Ruffo di Calabria family built on the rock facing the Straits.

The climate is typically Mediterranean but also displays microclimatic variations due to its particular geographical situation where different meteorological zones – the Ionian and Tyrrhenian zones and the Sicilian Straits - come together. The city has excellent transport connections to the rest of the world by means of the rail network (it is the terminus of one of the main Italian rail routes, that between Rome and Reggio Calabria), the road network ( the A3 Salerno-Reggio Calabria Motorway), the domestic Straits Airport situated a mile or two from the city centre, and the ferry and hydrofoil links to Sicily. The University Campus is in the Feo di Vito district on a hill overlooking the port.

official site
tourism info

Catanzaro

Catanzaro is the capital of Calabria, which is divided into Catanzaro, Cosenza, and Reggio di Calabria provs. (named after their capitals). The region is generally mountainous, with narrow coastal strips. Long one of the most depressed areas in Italy, the government has tried to stimulate the economy through land reform, the introduction of new crops, and the promotion of tourism. Farming is the main occupation; olives, plums, grapes, citrus fruit, and wheat are grown, and sheep and goats are raised. Fishing is well developed along the Strait of Messina. The region's few manufactures include processed food, wine, forest products, chemicals, and metal goods. There are several large hydroelectric plants.

Cosenza

Cosenza (population 104,000), a provincial capital in Calabria, stands at the confluence of two rivers.  The old town, overshadowed by its castle, descends to the River Crati, whereas the growing modern city lies to the north, beyond the Busento, on level ground.  The historic city centre is crossed by the winding Corso Telesio.

The dishes of the restaurants of Cosenza depend on its neighborhood, from the “Maccaruni alla Toranese” of Torano Castello, with pieces of bacon fat and onion, to the Vermicelli alla Sammartinese of San Martino di Finita, with sauce and pecorino (ewe's-milk cheese), and finally home-made pasta, “recchiatelle” and baked lasagna. Another tasty dish based on meat is made of kid without its entrails and stuffed with vermicelli seasoned with the sauce of the same entrails. In Cosenza and its environs, one can taste game cooked by the hunters of the Pollino as they did in the past. These dishes are based on hares, woodcocks, quails and partridges. Along the Tyrrhenian coast of Co­senza one can taste fish dishes like sardines in the Cetraro way. The hinterland of Cosenza is the land of the mush­rooms prepared in several ways and bottled in oil. The typical Calabrian sweets are: homemade biscuits, taralli, dried figs covered with chocolate. The Wines come from the vines of Pollino, about 13 proof, and of Savuto, 14 proof a table wine. Even the white wine from the vines of Esaro, the red Esaro and the Muscat vine of Cosenza are as much well known

Crotone

The territory of the province of Crotone is included between the Sila mountains to the west and the Ionian Sea to the east, and was in antiquity an area of very early Greek settlements; ancient Kroton, the present province capital, was the hometown of Pitagoras, Milo, Alcmeon. In the early 20th century the province had a remarkable industrial development, and though most of the chemical plants of those days were closed, the car industry is still growing. The main resources however are in the tourist sector and in agricultural production, especially of wine and wheat.

The largest piazza in Crotone is the Piazza Pitagora, but the Piazza Duomo, in front of the Cathedral, is more people-friendly.  The Duomo has elements that date back to the 9th century, but is mostly a 15th century work, with elements of the Baroque worked into its interior.

The archaeological museum near the Cathedral is worth taking time to visit.  You will find a wide variety of coins, votive ceramics, terra cotta vases, bronze miniatures and other artifacts that have been found in the area.  In the centro storico, a little distance from the Piazza Duomo, you will also find a Civic Museum, library, archives and a hall used for local and traveling exhibitions.

There are a number of churches in the city which will intrigue some visitors, many of them, because of war and earthquakes re-built many times, creating an encyclopedic mix of architectural styles in each edific.

Vibo Valentia

Vibo Valentia , town (1991 pop. 34,836), Calabria, S Italy, near the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is an agricultural and commercial center. A flourishing Roman town, Vibo was destroyed by the Arabs in the 9th cent. and was rebuilt by Emperor Frederick II in the 13th cent. The town has suffered from numerous earthquakes (especially in 1783 and 1905), but Frederick II's castle still stands. There are also Greek ruins. Vibo was known until 1928 as Monteleone di Calabria.

The Greek walls of the old town used to stretch over 7km. Made from megalithic stone blocks only 300 meters is left standing, but the doors and defensive towers can still be made out.

The Norman castle has four towers each built at different times by different rulers. The castle is noted for being the spot where 7 martyrs were slain for having defended the town from the impending take over by the Pignatelli. The Archaeological Museum is housed inside.

Accomodations

The 501 Hotel - Located on a small hill dominating the town of Vibo Valentia, standing in a panoramic position over the large gulf of Sant'Eufemia. Description, photographs, and rates.
www.esperia.it/hotel501eng.htm

Links to fascinating sites