Since the Paleolithic Age- the comings and goings of peoples and cultures
from different places has led to a stratification of history and
culture that has witnessed the advent of the Greeks and Romans and
later on the Longobards, the Saracens, the Byzantines and finally
the Normans and Spaniards up to the Unification of Italy and the
long adventure of emigration overseas.
One of the oldest and most important prehistoric sites
in Europe is the Grotta- Riparo del Romito near the
village of Papasidero. Outside the cave, remains dating
from the Upper Paleolithic Age: a Bovid - the Bos
primigenius - was carved on the wall of a limestone
boulder, “the most magnificent example of verism from
the Paleolithic Age in the Mediterranean area” (P.
Graziosi).
Beside the cave, archaeological excavations
have brought to light some well-preserved graves with
skeletons of individuals short of stature.
Of considerable importance is also another archaeological site at
Timpone dellaMotta and Macchiabbate in the
vicinity of the town of Francavilla Marittima. In the former
place, an indigenous inhabited area was found. It already existed
when the Achaeian settlers founded Sibari in 720 B.C. In the latter
place, there is an important necropolis near the inhabited area
where a wealth of burial goods was found. At San Donato di Ninea,
the cave of Sant'Angelo houses an underground church dating
from the 5th to 6th centuries A.D., with well-preserved frescoes,
altars, columns and architectural works. In the vicinity of San
Sosti, a votive bronze hatchet devoted to the goddess Hera
was found; at present, it is exhibited in the British Museum in
London. Well-known in the territories of Valsinni and Cersosimo
are the defensive boundary walls from the 4th century B.C.
Other significant archaeological finds - mainly of burial goods
have been brought to light in the area of Chiaromonte.
Many are the centuries-old holy places such as churches, sanctuaries and
monasteries scattered in the various villages within the Park. Some
of them are located in very spectacular and picturesque spots: the
Santuario della Madonna delle Armi (Sanctuary of Madonna
delle Armi) near Cerchiara di Calabria built on a cliff in 1440
still conserves precious frescoes and a silver shrine with the
miraculous, sacred image of the Virgin Mary; striking is also the
medieval Chiesa di Santa Maria diCostantinopoli
(Church of Santa Maria di Costantinopoli) at Papasidero high up on a
cliff overlooking the river Lao far down below; worth visiting in
the Orsomarso mountains is the Santuario della Madonna del
Pettoruto (Sanctuary of the Madonna del Pettoruto) at San Sosti
built in 1274 by the monks of the Abbazia di Acquaformosa (Abbey of
Acquaformosa) and later rebuilt after an earthquake in 1783; unique
is the Santuario di Cappelle (Sanctuary of Cappelle)
at Laino Borgo named after the fifteen small chapels with
frescoes depicting scenes from the life of Jesus Christ.
Outside the village of Chiaromonte one can see the ruins of the Abbazia
del Sagittario (Abbey of Sagittario) from the 13th century and
those of the Monastero del Ventrile (Monastery of Ventrile)
dating from the 14th century. From the motorway that runs through
the Park one can see the fascinating ruins of the Convento di
Colloreto (Convent of Colloreto) near Morano Calabro built in
1545, abandoned around the 13th century which later became a place
where bandits found shelter.
In the historical town center of Morano Calabro -a place with a wealth of
art and history- among the many churches, a few deserve special
attention: the 15th century Chiesa di San Bernardino (Church
of St.Bernardino) with its valuable wooden lacunar and Gothic
portal; the Chiesa dei SS. Pietro e Paolo (Church of St.
Peter and St.Paul) with two statues by Pietro Bernini from the no
longer existing convento di Colloreto (convent of Colloreto); la
Colleggiata della Maddalena (Collegiate Church of Maddalena)
built from the 16th century onwards, whose interior is one of the
most interesting examples of the Baroque in Calabria and houses the
artworks - Madonna degli Angioli by Gagini and a polyptych signed
and dated by Vavarini in 1477.
Other religious edifices enhance the villages on Mt. Pollino: the
Santuario di Santa Maria della Consolazione (Sanctuary of Santa
Maria della Consolazione) at Rotonda, the Abbazia di Santa Maria
Odigitria (Abbey of Santa Maria Odigitria) at San Basile with
its 13th century Madonna Coronata, the Monastero di Santa Maria
delMonte (Monastery of Santa Maria del Monte) at
Acquaformosa, the Chiesa Bizantinadi SantaSofia
(Byzantine Church of Santa Sofia) at Papasidero with frescoes
depicting St. Sophia and St. Giles, the Chiese dei santi apostoli
Pietro e Paolo (Churches of SS. Apostoli Pietro e Paolo) at
Frascineto, the Cattedrale di San Nicola di Mira (Cathedral
of San Nicola di Mira) at Lungro with its precious iconostasis, and
the Chiesa della Visitazione (Church of the Visitation) at
Aieta with its beautiful 18th century portal.
In addition to the places of worship there are ancient fortifications
and palaces : at Chiaromonte, Senise, Morano
Calabro, Grisolia, Mormanno and Castrovillari
as well as the ruins of an Aragonese castle dating from 1490. At
Valsinni stands the medieval castle that belonged to the great 16th
century poet Isabella Morra whose name was made known by
Benedetto Croce. Her lyrics have inspired the establishment of a
"Literature Park".
Particularly striking is the historical town center of Laino
Castello, an ancient village overlooking the Valle del Lao
(Lao River Valley) that was completely abandoned after an earthquake
in the early 1980s. Other villages of historical interest are
Orsomarso with its unusual Clock Tower built on the cliff,
Papasidero, Civita with its peculiar chimneypots, Viggianello,
Rotonda with its portals and precious friezes carved by local
stone-cutters.
In the past, splendid watermills added beauty to the area and some of them
still exist today like the one at "Ricchie Muzze" near Francavilla
sul Sinni; other mills built between the 14th and 17th centuries are
located near San Severino and at Mezzana where one can see the great
millstones that were once in use.
THE ARBĖRESHE COMMUNITY.
Between 1470 and 1540, just after the death of their leader Castriota
Skanderbeg, groups of Albanians in flight from Turkish militias
settled in the regions of Calabria and Lucania and founded
communities where they kept their history alive.
True to their traditions, their customs and their
language, they have succeeded in safeguarding their
arbėreshe culture in the towns they founded:
Acquaformosa, Civita, San Basile, Lungro, Plataci,
Frascineto, San Costantino Albanese, and San Paolo
Albanese. The Albanian community in the Pollino area is
one of the most firmly rooted in Italy.
At Civita and at San Paolo Albanese, two villages where agriculture and
sheep grazing are still being practized, there are museums
commemorating arbėreshe heritage where many objects, tools and
traditional garb are on exhibit.
Of great religious interest are the church services in the
Byzantine-Greek rite such as weddings. In some places, fabric
from broom fibers is still woven by hand following age-old
procedures passed on from mother to daughter like the splendid
costumes for daily use and for festive occasions with songs and
Vallje - unusual dances where the Arbėreshe dancers are tied
together with scarves so as to preserve their memory and pass it
on to future generations.
THE TRADITIONS
Various rites celebrate the relationship of Man with the mountains.
For example, during the feast of Madonna di Pollino
celebrated on the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday in July, a
procession winds its way up to the sanctuary of the Virgin Mary at
an altitude of 1537 mts in the vicinity of San Severino Lucano; the
feast of the Madonna diPettoruto at San Sosti is
celebrated on the first Sunday in May with a ceremony called "cerimonia
della Cinta", and from the 1st to the 8th September to commemorate
the anniversary of the reconstruction; the "Giudaica" of Laino Borgo
takes place on Good Friday every two years; the feast of St. Ann is
celebrated on the Sunday following the 26th of July at San Lorenzo
Bellizzi and finally the feast of San Rocco with its famous sickle
dance which takes place on the 16th of August at San Paolo Albanese.
Pollino National Park
- HISTORY, ART AND CULTURE
THE ARBĖRESHE COMMUNITY.