Before we left Calabria, and my husband's hometown of Gioiosa Ionica, to enjoy the celebration of the Feast of Saint Rocco, we visited Badolato, Gerace, and three other nearby towns--Roccella Ionica, Mammola, and Siderno. (All photos will enlarge if clicked on)
Roccella Ionica, situated along the Ionian Sea coastline, originates back to ancient Magna Graecia. It is dominated by a rocky promontory on which the Carafa Castle stands, which is from the Norman period, built by Gualtieri De Collepietro. The building passed to the Ruffo family for several generations, then the Crotone's Marquis, Antonio Centelles and finally, to the noble family Carafa Della Spina, which partially rebuilt and restored it. It survived the attack of the Turkish Dragut Pasha in 1553.
The castle ruins are an imposing sight to see!
The castle is protected by a tall fence, and limited tours are provided. In recent years, some EU funded restoration has been taking place to help preserve the ruins.
The Pizzofalcone Tower is also located on the promontory. It is the only surviving structures of the ancient castle of Roccella de S. Vittore. It is a remaining part of defense system along the Calabrian coast that was built to "keep invading barbarians out."
The views of the castle, tower, and also the town and shoreline below were so very picturesque. Despite its ancient origins, Roccella today is a modern town with many tourist attractions. Its beaches are often awarded "Blue Flag" certification for excellence. Every year Roccella Ionica hosts a jazz festival called "Rumori Mediterranei" that has become appreciated by both the public and music critics.
We visited Mammola one afternoon to dine in one of its famous "pescestocco" or stockfish (dried Norwegian codfish) restaurants. Mammola is a charming village located between the Serre and the Aspromonte Mountains.
Legend has it that the natural mountain spring waters found in Mammola are mineral rich and provide the dried cod with exceptional flavor as it is soaked. The meal we enjoyed had a sampling of all the traditional ways that the cod is prepared and it was all very delicious!
Another afternoon, we visited the town of Siderno, to enjoy its beaches along the Ionian Sea. The water was crystal clear and warm.
Unlike Roccella, whose beaches are fine sand, the shore of Siderno is made up of small pebbles. Years ago I collected quite a bit of pretty pieces of sea glass from the shore, but I did not see much on this trip.
Siderno has a pretty walkway along the coast, called a "lungomare" in Italian. There were terrible storms a few years ago and much of the walkway had to be rebuilt.
My husband's oldest sister and her husband live in Siderno, and she prepared one of the most delicious meals we enjoyed in Italy! A son and daughter-in-law and granddaughter were also visiting from the US at the time, so we had a belated birthday celebration for my sister-in-law. Wonderful memories with family, and more beautiful Calabrian moments to savor.
We would next be leaving Calabria and flying to northern Italy, to visit my husband's relatives in Genoa and Bologna. We also took side trips to Verona, Padua and Lake Maggiore. More about those places in future blog posts!
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