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North Calabria

Discovering small medieval villages and the magnificent Pollino National Park

Castrovillari

Castrovillari is located in the north of Calabria, near the border with Basilicata, and within the Pollino National Park. The town is nestled in the midst of a vast arena formed by mountains, including Pollino (2,248 m) and Dolcedorme (2,273 m), within the Pollino National Park.
The name likely derives from the medieval Latin "castrum villarum," meaning "fortress of the villages." The area has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The town was established, or rather fortified, during the Middle Ages amid conflicts between the Lombards and the Byzantine Empire. During the Hohenstaufen dynasty in southern Italy, the town gained the title of city and became the starting point for the evangelization of Calabria by the Franciscan Order, founded by St. Francis of Assisi.
The first Franciscan monastery in Calabria ("Protoconvento francescano") was built here in 1220 by Pietro Cathin from Sant'Andrea of the Marca, the prior of the Order in Calabria. The castle was constructed in 1490 during the Aragonese rule in southern Italy. Key attractions in Castrovillari include the Aragonese Castle, Ponte della Catena (Chain Bridge) connecting the two halves of the city, the Church of San Giuliano, the Franciscan monastery, and the Church of Madonna del Castello.
In Morano Calabro (pictured), the buildings are so tightly packed together that against the backdrop of the Pollino mountains, they resemble an unrealistically perfect cone-shaped hill composed entirely of houses. Since Roman times, through the Saracen era and into the Middle Ages, Morano Calabro has formed a dense fabric of houses and a labyrinth of stairs, alleys, and winding streets, partially carved into the rock.
The Ponte del Diavolo (Devil's Bridge) is located in the town of Civita, in the province of Cosenza, within the territory of the Pollino National Park. It spans the two walls of the gorge carved by the Raganello River. It is said that due to the extreme difficulty in building the bridge, a deal was struck with the devil; in exchange for his assistance, the devil would take the soul of the first person to cross it. However, once built, the bridge was crossed by a dog; infuriated, the devil kicked the bridge and left marks that, according to this legend, are still visible.
The Pollino National Park is Italy's largest protected area among the most recent parks. Between the peaks of Dolcedorme and Cozzo del Pellegrino, and the horizons that sketch the waters of the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas, throughout the Pollino and Orsomarso massif that stretches across Calabria and Lucania, Nature and Man intertwine in centuries-old relationships that the Pollino National Park, established in 1993, conserves and safeguards under its symbol, the Bosnian pine.
Le Gole del Fiume Raganello (Raganello River Gorges) between San Lorenzo and Civita comprise a 13-kilometer-long gorge located between high cliffs. A pathway in the water takes you amidst the fantastic rocks smoothed by the Raganello River. The upper and lower stretches await for a unique adventure in one of the most beautiful natural areas in Italy and Europe, where you can enjoy activities like rafting, hiking, and other wild pursuits.