Calabria Tour. Hidden treasure and history

Calabria is a treasure trove of history, nature creations, routes, tours and diversity for travelers.

In order to better understand the local culture, we propose to plunge, first of all, into the history of the region. It is truly amazing and deep. Imagine that household items, such as parts of ceramic products, from the Neolithic period, which have approximately more than 8000 years old, have recently been found!

To delve into the history of Calabria, as in the case of Sicily and other regions of Italy, you can devote your time to reading Ancient Greek myths. For example, Calabria is mentioned in the story of the exploits of Hercules. This means that already in the first millennium BC, Calabria was well known in the ancient world. Gradually, the ancient civilization spread its influence throughout Calabria, as well as Puglia and Sicily. Therefore, of course, it is worth studying the further history of these regions together.

The Greeks perfectly integrated into the culture and life of the local population, and had a huge impact on the development of the whole of Southern Italy. We are all well aware of such great figures of the Mediterranean as Pythagoras, Herodotus and Protagoras. Later, around the 111th century BC, the Roman Empire came to rule. Calabria gradually became a trade bridge between Rome, Africa and the Middle East. The ancient Roman period was well remembered for the campaigns of Spartacus' soldiers in the vicinity of Cosenza, and the streets of Reggio witnessed the expulsion of the dissolute sister of Emperor Augustus.

Between the periods of the rule of Ancient Rome and the next – the arrival of Byzantium, there was a great cultural and economic decline in Calabria, which then again, as it happens in history, was replaced by growth. The best preserved monuments of the Byzantine period are in the cities of Stillo, Rossano and San Severina.

After that, the territory of Calabria was raided by the Arabs, who, in turn, ousted the Byzantine rule. The Normans and Aragonese followed. It is not difficult to imagine how many architectural monuments, a mix of cultures and traditions are mixed up in such a small but incredibly rich territory!

One of the most important legacies of those times: the Aragonese Castle in Reggio, the Gothic church of Santa Maria in Altamonte, the cathedral in Tropea, the castle in Pizzo and Belvedere Marittimo, the cathedral in Gerace. The legacies of the Byzantine period have been preserved much less, as almost everything was destroyed during the Arab invasions. However, some legacies have survived to the present day. You will definitely find out about this in the following posts!