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In the 700s BC, Greeks migrated across southern Italy and settled the land known as Magna Graecia. The first of these settlements – where 100,000 of the wealthiest and most prosperous congregated – was Sybaris. The Sybarites, whose name is now synonymous with opulence and luxury originated la dolce vita for which Italy is famous.
If it wasn’t for this brilliant Calabrian you and I wouldn’t even know what day it was, but unfortunately, his great contribution bears someone’s name. As Michele Connors explains, Luigi Lilio, one of the greatest minds in Calabrian history, changed the way we see the world.
Welcome, Michele.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, a host of invaders flocked across southern Italy, establishing some of the most charming villages in Calabria. This period in our history is called “the Middle Ages,” and the towns they created along the way-Medieval villages-are everywhere in Calabria.
Last week I ran down six beautifully well-preserved Medieval villages in the provinces of Reggio Calabria and Crotone. The more popular villages of Gerace and Stilo made the cut, but that list was far from complete.
Sicily is one of the most diverse regions in Italy, so it is darn near impossible to narrow it down to just five places you should consider visiting.
But I tried.
Our Southern Italy Snapshots series is into full swing and we’ve stopped both in bella Calabria and hopped off of the mainland with a visit to world-famous Sicily. Today we are at the back of the boot in Puglia, a region that is quickly becoming a must-see destination in the bel paese.
I started this Reader Question series last month and so far have discussed some of my favorite “stopping points” for travelers passing through Calabria from Campania and given some ideas on things to do in Palermo.
A few months ago I wrote about three of my favorite mountain villages in Calabria, but now that the sun is starting to twinkle behind that wide Calabrian sky, it’s time to hit the beach.
You all know what a brave fearless silly girl I am, right? I moved to hole-in-the-bottom-of-the-boot Calabria, had a baby in italiano and most recently, traveled with said baby on six separate flights.
Back when I began blogging in 2006, memes were everywhere-you were either tagging or being tagged every couple of weeks and listing, numbering and ranking meme-style was oh, too cool. Then, it changed. Nobody was tagging nuthin’ anymore and memes, it seemed, were out of fashion.
The culmination of a year of collaboration with my Calabrian Table Tour partner-in-crime, Tania Pascuzzi (In Italy Tours), paid off last week as we welcomed seven bright-eyed adventurers into our favorite little corner of Italy.
Tomorrow – November 15, 2011 – award-winning musician and fellow Calabria’phile, Micheal Castaldo will release his very first Christmas record, Extravergine: Natale nel Mediterraneo / Christmas in the Mediterranean. And trust me, Italophiles, you are going to want to get a copy of this.
Cherrye Moore is a Texas-born writer and travel consultant living in Calabria. Read how it started here.
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