Sights

Museo Archeologico
Provinciale Ribezzo MUSEUM

( 0831 56 55 08; Piazza del Duomo 8; 9.30am-1.30pm Tue-Sat & 3.30-6.30pm Tue, Thu & Sat) This superb museum covers several floors with well-documented exhibits (in English) including some 3000 bronze sculptures and fragments in Hellenistic Greek style. There are also terracotta figurines from the 7th century, underwater archaeological finds, and Roman statues and heads (not always together).

Chiesa di Santa Maria del Casale CHURCH

( 0831 41 85 45; Via Ruggero de Simone; 8am-8pm) Located 4km north of town towards the airport, this church was built by Prince Philip of Taranto around 1300. The church mixes up Puglian Romanesque, Gothic and Byzantine styles, with a Byzantine banquet of interior frescoes. The immense Last Judgement on the entrance wall, full of blood and thunder, is the work of Rinaldo di Taranto.

Roman Column MONUMENT

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(Via Colonne) The gleaming white column above a sweeping set of sun-whitened stairs leading to the waterfront promenade marks the imperial Via Appia terminus at Brindisi. Originally there were two, but one was presented to the town of Lecce back in 1666 as thanks to Sant’Oronzo for having relieved Brindisi of the plague.

Cathedral CATHEDRAL

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(Piazza del Duomo; 8am-9pm Mon-Fri & Sun, to noon Sat) This 11th-century cathedral was substantially remodelled about 700 years later. You can see how it may have looked from the nearby Porta dei Cavalieri Templari OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP , a fanciful portico with pointy arches – all that remains of the Knights Templar’s main church.

Tempio di San
Giovanni al Sepolcro CHURCH

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(Via San Giovanni) The Knights Templar’s secondary church is a square brown bulk of Norman stone conforming to the circular plan the Templars so loved.

Monument to Italian Sailors MONUMENT

For a wonderful view of Brindisi’s waterfront, take one of the regular boats (return €1.80) on Viale Regina Margherita across the harbour to the monument erected by Mussolini in 1933.

Sleeping

B&B Federico II APARTMENT $

( 0328 9277735; www.bbfederico2.it; Via Federico II di Svevia 27; s €35-40, d €60-70; ) Positioned near the harbour, these are two simple but attractive apartments arranged around a palm-shaded courtyard. The stand-out factor is the great service, with a warm welcome and a thoughtfully stocked fridge.

Hotel Orientale HOTEL $$

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( 0831 56 84 51; www.hotelorientale.it; Corso Garibaldi 40; s/d €75/130; ) This sleek, modern hotel overlooks the long palm-lined corso . Rooms are pleasant, the location is good and it has a small fitness centre, private car park and (rare) cooked breakfast option.

Eating

Trattoria Pantagruele TRATTORIA $$

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( 0831 56 06 05; Via Salita di Ripalta 1; meals €30; lunch & dinner Mon-Fri, dinner Sat) Named after French writer François Rabelais’ satirical character, this charming trattoria three blocks from the waterfront serves up excellent fish and grilled meats.

Il Giardino PUGLIAN $$

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( 0831 56 40 26; Via Tarantini 14-18; meals €30; lunch & dinner Tue-Sat, lunch Sun) Established more than 40 years ago in a restored 15th-century palazzo, sophisticated Il Giardino serves refined seafood and meat dishes in a delightful garden setting.

Information

The new port is east of town, across the Seno di Levante at Costa Morena, in a bleak industrial wilderness.

The old port is about 1km from the train station along Corso Umberto I, which leads into Corso Garibaldi where there are numerous cafes, shops, ferry companies and travel agencies.

Ferries (www.ferries.gr) Details of ferry fares and timetables to Greek destinations.

Hospital ( 0831 53 71 11) Southwest of the centre; take the SS7 for Mesagne.

Post Office (Piazza Vittoria)

Tourist Office ( 0831 52 30 72; www.viaggiareinpuglia.it; Viale Regina Margherita 44; 9am-1pm & 2-8pm Mon-Sat summer, 8.30am-2pm Mon-Sat & 3.30-7pm Mon-Fri winter) Has a wealth of information and brochures on the area. If you are interested in pedal power, pick up Le Vie Verdi map with eight bicycling routes in the Brindisi area, ranging from 6km to 30km.

Getting There & Away

Air

From Papola Casale (BDS; www.aeroportidipuglia.it) , Brindisi’s small airport, there are domestic flights to Rome, Naples and Milan. Airlines include Alitalia, AirOne and easyJet. There are also direct flights from London Stansted with Ryanair.

Major and local car-rental firms are represented at the airport and there are regular SITA buses to Lecce (€6.50, 35 minutes, nine daily) and STP buses to central Brindisi (€1.60, 15 to 30 minutes, every 30 minutes).

Pugliairbus (http://pugliairbus.aeroportidipuglia.it) has services to Bari airport (€8, 1¾ hours) and Lecce (€7, 40 minutes).

Boat

Ferries, all of which take vehicles, leave Brindisi for Greece and Albania.

Ferry companies have offices at Costa Morena (the newer port); the major ones also have offices in town.

Agoudimos Lines (www.ferries.gr/agoudimos) To Corfu, Igoumenitsa and Cephalonia in Greece; to Vlore in Albania.

Endeavour Lines ( 0831 57 38 00; www.endeavor-lines.com; Via Prov. Le per Lecce 27) To Igoumenitsa, Patras, Corfu and Cephalonia in Greece.

Red Star Ferries ( 0831 57 52 89; www.directferries.co.uk/red_star_ferries.htm) To Vlore in Albania.

Bus

STP ( 0831 54 92 45) buses go to Ostuni (€2.90, 50 minutes, six daily) and Lecce (€3.30, 45 minutes, two daily), as well as towns throughout the Salento. Most leave from Via Bastioni Carlo V, in front of the train station. Ferrovie del Sud-Est buses serving local towns also leave from the same place.

Train

The train station has regular services to the following destinations:

Bari (from €14, one hour)

Lecce (from €9, 30 minutes)

Milan (from €99.50, 8½ to 11 hours)

Rome (from €66, five to seven hours)

Taranto (from €4.50, 1¼ hours)

Getting Around

A free minibus connects the train station and old ferry terminal with Costa Morena. It departs two hours before boat departures. You’ll need a valid ferry ticket.

To reach the airport take the STP-run Cotrap bus from Via Bastoni Carlo V.

Southern & Western Salento

The Penisola Salentina, better known simply as Salento, is hot, dry and remote, retaining a flavour of its Greek past. It stretches across Italy’s heel from Brindisi to Taranto and down to Santa Maria di Leuca. Here the lush greenery of Valle d’Itria gives way to flat, ochre-coloured fields hazy with wildflowers in spring, and endless olive groves.

Oria

pop 15,400

The multicoloured dome of Oria’s cathedral can be seen for miles around, surrounded by the narrow streets of this appealing medieval town. An intriguing, if ghoulish, sight is the cathedral’s Cripta delle Mummie (Crypt of the Mummies), where 11 mummified corpses of former monks are still preserved. Surmounting the town, the Frederick II castle , built in a triangular shape, has been carefully restored. It is privately owned.

Dating back to Frederick II’s reign, Il Torneo dei Rioni is the annual battle between the town’s quarters. It takes the form of a spectacular palio (horse race) and is held every mid-August.

Borgo di Oria ( 329 2307506; www.borgodioria.it; apt €50-100; ) is a delightful albergo diffuso run by the charismatic and well-travelled Francesco Pipino. The self-catering apartments are large, comfortable and tastefully furnished. Reception is at Bar Kenya in Piazza Manfredi.

Waiters in medieval costume welcome you at Alle Corte di Hyria ( 329 6624507; Via Milizia 146; meals €20-25; Thu-Tue) , an atmospheric restaurant in a stone-walled cavern.

Oria is on the main Trenitalia line and there are frequent train services from both Brindisi and Taranto. You can also connect with Ostuni and change at Francavilla Fontana for Alberobello and Martina Franca.

Galatina

pop 27,300

With a charming historic centre, Galatina – 18km south of Lecce – is at the core of the Penisola Salentina’s Greek past. It is almost the only place where the ritual tarantismi (Spider Music) is still practised. The tarantella folk dance evolved from this ritual, and each year on the feast day of St Peter and St Paul (29 June), it is performed at the (now deconsecrated) church.

Sights

Basilica di Santa
Caterina d’Alessandria CHURCH

( 8am-12.30pm & 4.30-6.45pm Apr-Sep, 8am-12.30pm & 3.45-5.45pm Oct-Mar) Most people come to Galatina see the incredible 14th-century Basilica di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria. Its interior is a kaleidoscope of fresco. It was built by the Franciscans, whose patroness was Frenchwoman Marie d’Enghien de Brienne. Married to Raimondello Orsini del Balzo, the Salentine’s wealthiest noble, she had plenty of cash to splash on interior decoration. The gruesome story goes that Raimondello (who is buried here) climbed Mt Sinai to visit relics of Santa Caterina (St Catherine). Kissing the dead saint’s hand, he bit off a finger and brought it back as a holy relic.

The church is absolutely beautiful, with a pure-white altarpiece set against the frenzy of frescoes. It is not clear who the artists Marie employed really were; they could have been itinerant painters down from Le Marche and Emilia or southerners who’d absorbed the latest Renaissance innovations on trips north. Bring a torch.

Sleeping

Samadhi AGRITURISMO

( 0836 60 02 84; www.agricolasamadhi.com; Via Stazione 116; per person from €40, per week from €390-995; ) Soothe the soul further with a stay at Samadhi, located around 7km east of here in tiny Zollino. It’s on a 10-hectare organic farm and the owners are multilingual. As well as ayurvedic treatments and yoga courses, there’s a vegan restaurant offering organic meals. Check the website for upcoming retreats and courses.

Getting There & Away

FSE runs frequent trains between Lecce and Galatina (€1.90, 30 minutes), and Zollino (€1.30, 20 minutes).

Otranto

pop 5540

Otranto overlooks a pretty harbour on the turquoise Adriatic coast. In the historic centre, looming golden walls guard narrow car-free lanes, protecting countless little shops selling touristic odds and ends. In July and August it’s one of Puglia’s most vibrant towns.

Otranto was Italy’s main port to the East for 1000 years and suffered a brutal history. There are fanciful tales that King Minos was here and St Peter is supposed to have celebrated the first Western Mass here.

A more definite historical event is the Sack of Otranto in 1480, when 18,000 Turks led by Ahmet Pasha besieged the town. The townsfolk were able to hold the Turks at bay for 15 days before capitulating. Eight hundred survivors were subsequently led up the nearby Minerva hill and beheaded for refusing to convert.

Today the only fright you’ll get is the summer crush on Otranto’s scenic beaches and in its narrow streets.

Sights

Cathedral CATHEDRAL

( 0836 80 27 20; Piazza Basilica; 8am-noon daily, plus 3-7pm Apr-Sep, 3-5pm Oct-Mar) This cathedral was built by the Normans in the 11th century, though it’s been given a few facelifts since. On the floor is a vast 12th-century mosaic of a stupendous tree of life balanced on the back of two elephants. It was created by a young monk called Pantaleone (who had obviously never seen an elephant), whose vision of heaven and hell encompassed an amazing (con)fusion of the classics, religion and plain old superstition, including Adam and Eve, Diana the huntress, Hercules, King Arthur, Alexander the Great, and a menagerie of monkeys, snakes and sea monsters. Don’t forget to look up; the cathedral also boasts a beautiful wooden coffered ceiling.

It’s amazing that the cathedral survived at all, as the Turks stabled their horses here when they beheaded the martyrs of Otranto on a stone preserved in the altar of the chapel (to the right of the main altar). This Cappella Mortiri (Chapel of the Dead) is a ghoulishly fascinating sight, with the skulls and bones of the martyrs arranged in neat patterns in seven tall glass cases.

Castello Aragonese Otranto CASTLE

(www.castelloaragoneseotranto.it; Piazza Castello; adult/child €2/free; 10am-1pm & 3-5pm Oct-Mar, 10am-1pm & 3-7pm Apr-May, 10am-1pm & 3-10pm Jun & Sep, 10am-midnight Aug) This squat thick-walled fort, with the Charles V coat of arms above the entrance, has great views from the ramparts. There are some faded original murals and original cannonballs on display.

Chiesa di San Pietro CHURCH

(Via San Pietro; 10am-noon & 3-6pm) Vivid Byzantine frescoes decorate the interior of this church, which was being restored at the time of writing. Follow the signs from the castle: if it’s closed, ask for the key at the cathedral.

Activities

There are some great beaches north of Otranto, especially Baia dei Turchi , with its translucent blue water. South of Otranto a spectacular rocky coastline makes for an impressive drive down to Castro. To see what goes on underwater, Scuba Diving Otranto ( 0836 80 27 40; www.scubadiving.it; Via Francesco di Paola 43) offers day or night dives as well as introductory courses and diving courses.

Sleeping

Balconcino d’Oriente B&B $

( 0836 80 15 29; www.balconcinodoriente.com; Via San Francesco da Paola 71; d €60-120, tr €80-150; ) This B&B has an African/Middle Eastern theme throughout with colourful bed linens, African prints, Moroccan lamps and orange colour washes on the walls. The downstairs restaurant serves traditional Italian meals (four courses €50).

Palazzo Papaleo HOTEL $$

( 0836 80 21 08; www.hotelpalazzopapaleo.com; Via Rondachi 1; r €120-490; ) Located next to the town cathedral, this sumptuous hotel was the first to earn the EU Eco-label in Puglia. Aside from its ecological convictions, the hotel has magnificent rooms with original frescoes, exquisitely carved antique furniture and walls washed in soft greys, ochres and yellows. Soak in the panoramic views while enjoying the rooftop spa. The staff are exceptionally friendly.

Palazzo de Mori B&B $$

( 0836 80 10 88; www.palazzodemori.it; Bastione dei Pelasgi; r €120-150; Apr-Oct; ) In Otranto’s historic centre, this charming B&B serves breakfast on the sun terrace overlooking the port. The rooms are decorated in soothing white-on-white.

Eating

La Bella Idrusa PIZZERIA $

( 0836 80 14 75; Via Lungomare degli Eroi; pizzas €5; dinner Thu-Tue) You can’t miss this pizzeria right by the huge Porta Terra in the historic centre. Despite the tourist-trap location, the food is well judged. And it’s not just pizzas on offer: it also serves seafood standards.

Laltro Baffo SEAFOOD $$

( 0836 80 16 36; www.laltrobaffo.com; Cenobio Basiliano 23; meals €30-35; Tue-Sun) This elegant modern restaurant near the castle – on a side street signed towards the cathedral – dishes up seafood with a contemporary twist. Try the polipo alla pignata (octopus stew).

Information

Tourist Office ( 0836 80 14 36; Piazza Castello; 9am-1pm & 3-8pm Mon-Fri Jun-Sep, 9am-1pm Mon-Fri Oct-May) Faces the castle.

Getting There & Away

Otranto can be reached from Lecce by FSE train (€2.60, 1½ hours) or bus (€2.60, 1½ hours). Marozzi ( 0836 80 15 78; www.marozzivt.it) has daily bus services to Rome (€50, 10 hours, three daily). There are no trains on Sunday, so use the replacemement bus service.

For travel information and reservations, head to Ellade Viaggi ( 0836 80 15 78; www.elladeviaggi.it; Via del Porto) at the port.

Gallipoli

pop 21,100

Though not as iconic as the Turkish town of the same name, this Gallipoli (meaning ‘beautiful town’ in Greek) fills an island in the Ionian Sea and is connected by a bridge to the mainland and modern city. It’s a picturesque town surrounded by high walls, which were built to protect it against attacks from the sea. An important fishing centre, it feels like a working Italian town, unlike more seasonal coastal places. In the summer bars and restaurants make the most of the island’s ramparts, looking out to sea.

Sights & Activities

Gallipoli has some fine beaches, including the Baia Verde , just south of town. Nature enthusiasts will want to take a day trip to Parco Regionale Porto Selvaggio , about 20km north – a protected area of wild coastline with walking trails amid the trees and diving off the rocky shore.

Cattedrale di Sant’Agata CATHEDRAL

(Via Antonietta de Pace; hours vary) In the centre, on the highest point of the island, is this 17th-century baroque cathedral, lined with paintings by local artists. Zimbalo, who imprinted Lecce with his crazy baroque styles, also worked on the facade.

Frantoio Ipogeo HISTORIC SITE

( 338 1363063; Via Antonietta de Pace 87; 10am-12.30pm & 4-6.30pm Jun-Sep, to midnight Jun & Jul) This is only one of some 35 olive presses buried in the tufa rock below the town. It’s here that they pressed Gallipoli’s olive oil, which was then stored in one of the 2000 cisterns carved beneath the old town.

Museo Civico MUSEUM

( 0833 26 42 24; Via Antonietta de Pace 108; adult €3; 9am-1pm & 4-9pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat) Founded in 1878, the museum is a 19th-century time capsule featuring fish heads, ancient sculptures, a 3rd-century-BC sarcophagus and other weird stuff.

Farmacia Provenzana HISTORIC BUILDING

(Via Antonietta de Pace; 8.30am-12.30pm & 4.30-8.30pm Sun-Fri) A beautifully decorated pharmacy dating from 1814.

Sleeping

La Casa del Mare B&B $

( 333 4745754; www.lacasadelmare.com; Piazza de Amicis 14; d €60-110; ) This butter-coloured 16th-century building on a little square in the town centre is a great choice. Helpful and friendly Federico has also restored a flamboyant 18th-century palazzo nearby, Palazzo Flora (www.palazzoflora.com; Via d’Ospina 19; d €65-120, house €150-300) , which sleeps four to six and has fantastic views, especially from the rooftop terrace. During the summer Federico cooks a sumptuous buffet feast for his guests every Friday night (per person €35).

Insula B&B $

( 366 3468357; www.bbinsulagallipoli.it; Via Antonietta de Pace 56; s €40-80, d €60-150; Apr-Oct; ) A magnificent 15th-century building houses this memorable B&B. The five rooms are all different but share the same princely atmosphere with exquisite antiques, vaulted high ceilings and cool pastel paintwork.

Relais Corte Palmieri HOTEL $$

( 0833 26 53 18; www.hotelpalazzodelcorso.it; Corte Palmieri 3; s €130-185, d €165-195; ) This cream-coloured, well-kept hotel in the historic centre has elegant rooms accentuated by traditional painted furniture, wrought-iron bedheads and crisp red-and-white linen.

Eating

Caffè Duomo CAFE $

(Via Antonietta de Pace 72; dessert €9) For good Gallipoli spumone (layered ice cream with candied fruit and nuts) and refreshing granite (ices made with coffee, fresh fruit or locally grown pistachios and almonds), head to Caffè Duomo.

La Puritate TRATTORIA $$

( 0833 26 42 05; Via S Elia 18; meals €40-45; Thu-Tue) A great place for fish in the old town with picture windows and sea views. Follow the excellent antipasti with delicious primi (first courses) such as seafood spaghetti, then see what’s been caught that day – the swordfish is usually a good bet.

Information

Tourist Office ( 0833 26 25 29; Via Antonietta de Pace 86; 8am-9pm summer, 8am-1pm & 4-9pm Mon-Sat winter) Near the cathedral in the old town.

Getting There & Away

FSE buses and trains head to Lecce (€3.90, one hour, four daily).

Taranto

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According to legend, the city was founded by Taras, son of Poseidon, who arrived on the back of a dolphin (as you do). Less romantically, the city was actually founded in the 7th century BC by exiles from Sparta to become one of the wealthiest and most important colonies of Magna Graecia. The fun finished, however, in the 3rd century BC when the Romans marched in, changed its name to Tarentum and set off a two-millennium decline in fortunes. Its cultural heyday may be over but Taranto still remains an important naval base, second only to La Spezia.

Once a Roman citadel, the collapsing historic medieval centre is gritty and dirty but has a lovely seaside promenade. However, the mainland industrial centre, with Italy’s largest steel plant, dominates the skyline.

Sights

Although Taranto’s medieval town centre is rundown and has a gritty undertone, it’s gradually being tastefully renovated. It is perched on the small island dividing the Mar Piccolo (Small Sea; an enclosed lagoon) and the Mar Grande (Big Sea). This peculiar geography means that blue sea and sky surround you wherever you go.

Museo Nazionale Archeologico MUSEUM

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( 099 453 21 12; www.museotaranto.it; Via Cavour 10; adult/child €5/free; 8.30am-7.30pm) In the new town is one of Italy’s most important archaeological museums, exploring ancient Taras. It houses, among other artefacts, the largest collection of Greek terracotta figures in the world. Also on exhibit are fine collections of 1st-century-BC glassware, classic black-and-red Attic vases and stunning jewellery such as a 4th-century-BC bronze and terracotta crown.

Cathedral CATHEDRAL

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(Via del Duomo) The 11th-century cathedral is one of Puglia’s oldest Romanesque buildings and an extravagant treat. It’s dedicated to San Cataldo, an Irish monk who lived and was buried here in the 7th century; the Capella di San Cataldo is a baroque riot of frescoes and polychrome marble inlay.

Castello Aragonese CASTLE

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( 099 775 34 38; www.castelloaragonesetaranto.it; Piazza Castello; by appointment 9am-noon Mon-Fri) Guarding the swing bridge that joins the old and new parts of town, this impressive 15th-century structure was once a prison and is currently occupied by the Italian navy. Opposite are the remaining columns of Taranto’s ancient Temple of Poseidon OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (Piazza Castello) .

Festivals & Events

Le Feste di Pasqua RELIGIOUS

Taranto is famous for its Holy Week celebrations – the biggest in the region – when bearers in Ku Klux Klan–style robes carry icons around the town. There are three processions: the Perdoni, celebrating pilgrims; the Addolorata (lasting 12 hours but covering only 4km); and the Misteri (even slower at 14 hours to cover 2km).

Sleeping

Hotel Akropolis HOTEL $$

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( 099 470 41 10; www.hotelakropolis.it; Vico Seminario 3; s/d €105/145; ) A converted medieval palazzo in the crumbling old town, this luxurious hotel sits grandly beside the cathedral. There are 13 stylish cream-and-white rooms, original majolica-tiled floors and tremendous views from the rooftop terrace. The downstairs bar and restaurant is enclosed in stone, wood and glass and has atmospheric curtained alcoves.

Europa Hotel HOTEL $$

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( 099 452 59 94; www.hoteleuropaonline.it; Via Roma 2; s €80-105, d €135-190; ) On the seafront next to the swing bridge, this hotel has comfortable rooms (some with kitchenettes) overlooking the old town.

Eating & Drinking

Trattoria L’Orologio TRATTORIA $

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( 099 460 87 36; Via Duca D’Aosta 27; meals €18-25; lunch & dinner Mon-Fri, lunch Sat) This deeply traditional Tarantine trattoria is known for its seafood, which includes grilled mussels, octopus with lemon and olive oil, and fried prawns and squid.

Trattoria al Gatto Rosso TRATTORIA $$

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( 099 452 98 75; www.ristorantegattorosso.com; Via Cavour 2; meals €30-35; Tue-Sun) A relaxed and unpretentious trattoria with a real touch of class – heavy tablecloths, deep wine glasses and the like. It is located in the new town and is very popular with discerning business types.

Information

Taranto splits neatly into three. The old town is on a tiny island, lodged between the northwest port and train station and the new city to the southeast. Italy’s largest steel plant occupies the city’s entire western half. The grid-patterned new city contains the banks, most hotels and restaurants and the tourist office ( 099 453 23 97; Corso Umberto I 113; 9am-1pm & 4.30-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat) .

Getting There & Around

Bus

Buses heading north and west depart from Porto Mercantile. FSE buses go to Bari (€6, 1¾ to 2¼ hours, frequent). Infrequent SITA ( 899 32 52 04; www.sitabus.it) buses leave for Matera (€5, 1¾ hours, one daily). STP and FSE buses go to Lecce (€6, two hours, four daily).

Marozzi ( 080 5799 0111; www.marozzivt.it) has express services serving Rome’s Stazione Tiburtina (€43, six hours, three daily). Autolinee Miccolis ( 099 470 44 51; www.miccolis-spa.it) serves Naples (€23, four hours, three daily) via Potenza (€15, two hours).

The bus ticket office ( 6am-1pm & 2-7pm) is at Porto Mercantile.

Train

Trenitalia and FSE trains go to the following destinations:

Bari (€7.40, 2½ hours, frequent)

Brindisi (€5.10, 1¼ hours, frequent)

Rome (from €41, 6 to 7½ hours, five daily)

AMAT ( 099 452 67 32; www.amat.taranto.it) buses run between the train station and the new city.

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Basilicata

History

Basilicata spans Italy’s instep with slivers of coastline touching the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas. It was known to the Greeks and Romans as Lucania (a name still heard today) after the Lucani tribe who lived here as far back as the 5th century BC. The Greeks also prospered, settling along the coastline at Metapontum and Erakleia, but things started to go wrong under the Romans, when Hannibal, the ferocious Carthaginian general, rampaged through the region.

In the 10th century the Byzantine emperor Basilikòs (976–1025) renamed the area, overthrowing the Saracens in Sicily and the south and reintroducing Christianity. The pattern of war and overthrow continued throughout the Middle Ages as the Normans, Hohenstaufens, Angevins and Bourbons constantly tussled over its strategic location, right up until the 19th century. As talk of the Italian unification began to gain ground, Bourbon-sponsored loyalists took to Basilicata’s mountains to oppose political change. Ultimately, they became the much-feared bandits of local lore who make scary appearances in writings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the 1930s Basilicata was used as a kind of open prison for political dissidents – most famously the painter, writer and doctor Carlo Levi – sent into exile to remote villages by the fascists.

Matera

pop 60,500 / elev 405m

Approach Matera from virtually any direction and your first glimpse of its famous sassi is sure to stay in your memory forever. Haunting and beautiful, the sassi sprawl below the rim of a yawning ravine like a giant nativity scene. The old town is simply unique and warrants at least a day of exploration and aimless wandering. Although many buildings are crumbling and abandoned, others have been restored and transformed into cosy abodes, restaurants and swish cave-hotels. On the cliff top, the new town is a lively place, with its elegant churches, palazzi and especially the pedestrianised Piazza Vittorio Veneto.

History

Matera is said to be one of the world’s oldest towns, dating back to the Palaeolithic Age and inhabited continuously for around 7000 years. The simple natural grottoes that dotted the gorge were adapted to become homes, and an ingenious system of canals regulated the flow of water and sewage. In the 8th century the caves became home to Benedictine and Basilian monks; the earliest cave paintings date from this period.

The prosperous town became the capital of Basilicata in 1663, a position it held until 1806 when the power moved to Potenza. In the decades that followed, an unsustainable increase in population led to the habitation of unsuitable grottoes – originally intended as animal stalls – even lacking running water. The dreadful conditions fostered a tough and independent spirit: in 1943, Matera became the first Italian city to rise up against German occupation.

By the 1950s more than half of Matera’s population lived in the sassi, typical caves sheltering families with an average of six children. The infant mortality rate was 50%. In his poetic and moving memoir, Christ Stopped at Eboli, Carlo Levi describes how children would beg passers-by for quinine to stave off the deadly malaria. Such publicity finally galvanised the authorities into action and in the late 1950s about 15,000 inhabitants were forcibly relocated to new government housing schemes. In 1993 the sassi were declared a Unesco World Heritage Site, and the town is currently gearing up to be the European Capital of Culture in 2019. Ironically, the town’s lack of development due to years of misery has transformed it into Basilicata’s leading tourist attraction.

Sights & Activities

There are two sasso districts: the more restored, northwest-facing Sasso Barisano and the more impoverished, northeast-facing Sasso Caveoso . Both are extraordinary, riddled with serpentine alleyways and staircases, and dotted with frescoed chiese rupestri (cave churches) created between the 8th and 13th centuries. Today Matera contains some 3000 habitable caves.

The sassi are accessible from several points. There’s an entrance off Piazza Vittorio Veneto, or take Via delle Beccherie to Piazza del Duomo and follow the tourist itinerary signs to enter either Barisano or Caveoso. Sasso Caveoso is also accessible from Via Ridola.

For a great photograph, head out of town for about 3km on the Taranto-Laterza road and follow signs for the chiese rupestri . This takes you up on the Murgia Plateau to the Belvedere (Taranto-Laterza Rd) , from where you have fantastic views of the plunging ravine and Matera.

1 Sasso Barisano

Chiesa di Madonna delle
Virtù & Chiesa di San Nicola
del Greci CHURCH

(Via Madonna delle Virtù; 10am-7pm Sat & Sun) This monastic complex is one of the most important monuments in Matera and is composed of dozens of caves spread over two floors. Chiesa Madonna delle Virtù was built in the 10th or 11th century and restored in the 17th century. Above it, the simple Chiesa di San Nicola del Greci is rich in frescoes. The complex was used in 1213 by Benedictine monks of Palestinian origin.

Chiesa San Pietro Barisano CHURCH

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(Piazza San Pietro Barisano; adult/reduced €3/2, joint ticket with Chiesa di Santa Lucia alle Malve & Chiesa di Santa Maria d’Idris €6/4.50) Below the church is an ancient honeycomb of niches where corpses were placed for draining, while at the entrance level are 15th- and 16th-century frescoes. The empty frame of the altarpiece graphically illustrates the town’s troubled recent history: the church was plundered when Matera was partially abandoned in the ’60s and ’70s.

1 Sasso Caveoso

Chiesa di San Pietro Caveoso CHURCH

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(Piazza San Pietro Caveoso) The only church in the sassi not dug into the tufa rock, Chiesa di San Pietro Caveoso was originally built in 1300 and has a 17th-century Romanesque-baroque facade.

Chiesa di Santa Maria d’Idris CHURCH

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(Piazza San Pietro Caveoso; adult/reduced €3/2, joint ticket with Chiesa San Pietro Barisano & Chiesa di Santa Lucia alle Malve €6/4.50; 10am-1pm & 2.30-7pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct, 10.30am-1.30pm Tue-Sun Nov-Mar) Dug into the Idris rock, this church has an unprepossessing facade, but the narrow corridor communicating with the recessed church of San Giovanni in Monterrone is richly decorated with 12th- to 17th-century frescoes.

Chiesa di Santa Lucia alle Malve CHURCH

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(Via la Vista; adult/reduced €3/2, joint ticket with Chiesa San Pietro Barisano & Chiesa di Santa Maria d’Idris €6/4.50; 10am-1pm & 2.30-7pm Apr-Oct, 10.30am-1.30pm Tue-Sun Nov-Mar) Built in the 8th century to house a Benedictine convent, this church has a number of 12th-century frescoes including an unusual breastfeeding Madonna.

La Raccolta delle Acque HISTORIC SITE

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( 340 6659107; www.laraccoltadelleacquematera.it; Via Bruno Buozzi 67; adult/child €2.50/1.50; 9.30am-1pm & 2-7pm Apr-Oct, 9.30am-1pm Nov-Mar) Matera’s fascinating water-storage system can be better understood when you visit this ancient complex of underground cisterns and canals, which was used to collect rainwater from roofs, streets and houses in the vicinity. The largest cistern is nearly 15m deep and 5m long.

Casa-Grotta di Vico Solitario HISTORIC SITE

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(admission €2) For a glimpse of life in old Matera visit this historic sasso off Via Bruno Buozzi. There’s a bed in the middle, a loom, a room for manure and a section for a pig and a donkey. You also have access to a couple of neighbouring caves: in one, a black-and-white film depicts gritty prerestoration Matera.

Museo della Scultura Contemporanea MUSEUM

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(MUSMA; 366 9357768; www.musma.it; Via San Giacomo; adult/reduced €5/3.50; 10am-2pm Tue-Sun & 4-8pm Sat & Sun Apr-Sep, 10am-2pm Tue-Sun Oct-Mar) Housed in Palazzo Pomarici, MUSMA is a fabulous contemporary sculpture museum. The setting – deeply recessed caves and frescoed palace rooms – is extraordinary and the works themselves absorbing. You can also book a tour to visit the Cripta del Peccato Originale (Crypt of Original Sin), which is located 7km south of Matera and has well-preserved frescoes from the late 8th century. It’s known as the Sistine Chapel of the cave churches and the frescoes depict dramatic Old Testament scenes.

1 The New Town

The focus of the town is Piazza Vittorio Veneto, an excellent, bustling meeting point for a passeggiata (evening stroll). It’s surrounded by elegant churches and richly adorned palazzi, with their backs to the sassi; an attempt by the bourgeois to block out the shameful poverty the sassi once represented.

Museo Nazionale d’Arte Medievale e Moderna della Basilicata MUSEUM

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( 0835 31 42 35; Palazzo Lanfranchi; adult/reduced €2/1; 9am-8pm Thu-Tue) The stars of the show are Levi’s paintings, including the panoramic mural Lucania ’61 depicting peasant life in biblical Technicolor. There’s also some centuries-old sacred art from the sassi .

Cathedral CATHEDRAL

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(Piazza del Duomo; closed for renovation) Set high up in town, the subdued, graceful exterior of the 13th-century Puglian-Romanesque cathedral makes the neobaroque excess within all the more of a surprise: ornate capitals, sumptuous chapels and tons of gilding. Pediments mounted on its altars came from the temples at Metaponto. Matera’s patron saint, the Madonna della Bruna, is hidden within the older church, Santa Maria di Costantinopoli OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP , which can be accessed from the cathedral if it’s open.

Museo Nazionale Ridola MUSEUM

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( 0835 31 00 58; Via Ridola 24; adult/reduced €2.50/1.25; 9am-8pm Tue-Sun, 2-8pm Mon) The impressive collection includes local Neolithic finds and some remarkable Greek pottery, such as the Cratere Mascheroni, a huge urn more than 1m high.

Tours

There are plenty of official guides for the sassi – try www.sassiweb.it. Alternatively, contact the Cooperativa Amici del Turista OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP ( 0835 33 03 01; www.amicidelturista.it; Via Fiorentini 28-30) or English-speaking guide Amy Weideman ( 339 2823618; aweideman@libero.it; half-day tour for 2 people €40) .

For excellent and informative guided visits, Ferula Viaggi (Click here ) has tours of the sassi, classic tours, underground tours, tours that include tastings or cookery courses, longer trips to the Pollino or into Puglia, and also hiking and cycling tours. Hikes range from short walks to weeklong trips. For a detailed list of walks, see Ferula Viaggi’s Walk Basilicata (www.walkbasilicata.it) . Ferula Viaggi also runs Bike Basilicata (www.bikebasilicata.it) , which rents bikes and helmets, and supplies a road book and map so you can head off on your own. Guided bike tours include a seven-night 500km odyssey across Puglia and Basilicata.

Festivals & Events

Sagra della Madonna della Bruna RELIGIOUS

( 2 Jul) The colourful Procession of Shepherds parades ornately decorated papier-mâché floats around town. The finale is the assalto al carro, when the crowd descends on the main cart and tears it to pieces.

Gezziamoci MUSIC

( 0835 33 02 00; www.gezziamociamatera.onyxjazzclub.it; Last week of Aug) This jazz festival in the sassi and surrounding Murgia park.

Sleeping

La Dolce Vita B&B B&B $

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( 0835 31 03 24; www.ladolcevitamatera.it; Rione Malve 51; s €40-60, d €60-80; ) This delightful ecofriendly B&B in Sasso Caveoso has self-contained apartments with solar panels and recycled rainwater for plumbing. They’re cool, comfortable and homey. Vincenzo is passionate about Matera and is a mine of information on the sassi .

Le Monacelle HOSTEL, HOTEL $

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( 0839 34 40 97; www.lemonacelle.it; Via Riscatto 9-10; dm/s/d €18/55/86; ) Near the duomo (cathedral), and incorporating the delightful small Chiesa di San Franceso d’Assisi chapel, this 16th-century building offers simple dorms and elegantly furnished rooms, as well as atmospheric cobbled terraces with stunning sassi views. It’s warmly welcoming, and the gorge views from the breakfast terrace are a knockout.

Il Vicinato B&B $

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( 0835 31 26 72; www.ilvicinato.com; Piazzetta San Pietro Caveoso 7; s/d €60/70; ) This B&B enjoys a great, easy-to-find location. Rooms are decorated in clean modern lines, with views across to Idris rock and the Murgia Plateau. There’s a room with a balcony and a small apartment, each with an independent entrance.

Sassi Hotel HOTEL $

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( 0835 33 10 09; www.hotelsassi.it; Via San Giovanni Vecchio 89; s/d €70/90, ste incl breakfast €110-160; ) The first hotel in the sassi is set in an 18th-century rambling edifice in Sasso Barisano with some rooms in caves and some not. Singles are small but doubles are gracefully furnished. The balconies have superb views of the cathedral.

Hotel in Pietra BOUTIQUE HOTEL $$

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( 0835 34 40 40; www.hotelinpietra.it; Via San Giovanni Vecchio 22; s €70-150, d €85-160, ste €180-230; ) The lobby is set in a former 13th-century chapel complete with soaring arches, while the eight rooms combine soft golden stone with the natural cave interior. Furnishings are Zen-style with low beds, and the bathrooms are super stylish and include vast sunken tubs.

Locanda di San Martino HOTEL $$

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( 0835 25 66 00; www.locandadisanmartino.it; Via Fiorentini 71; d €89-200; ) A sumptuous hotel where you can swim in a cave – in a subterranean underground swimming pool. The cave accommodation, complete with niches and rustic brick floors, is set around a warren of cobbled paths and courtyards.

Palazzo Viceconte HOTEL $$

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( 0835 33 06 99; www.palazzoviceconte.it; Via San Potito 7; d €95-140, ste €139-350; ) Rooms in this 15th-century palazzo near the cathedral have superb views of the sassi and gorge. The hotel is elegantly furnished and the rooftop terrace has panoramic views.

Eating

Oi Marì PIZZERIA $

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( 0835 34 61 21; Via Fiorentini 66; pizzas from €6.50; dinner daily, lunch Sat & Sun) In Sasso Barisano, this lofty and convivial cavern is styled as a Neapolitan pizzeria and has a great cheery atmosphere and excellent substantial pizzas to match, as well as primi of the day.

La Talpa TRADITIONAL ITALIAN $

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( 0835 33 50 86; Via Fiorentini 167; meals €15-20; Wed-Mon) The cavernous dining rooms here are moodily lit and atmospheric. A popular spot for romancing couples.

Ristorante Il Cantuccio TRATTORIA $$

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( 0835 33 20 90; Via delle Becchiere 33; meals €25; Tue-Sun) This quaint, homey trattoria near Piazza Vittorio Veneto is as welcoming as its chef and owner, Michael Lella. The menu is seasonal and the dishes traditional and delicious.

Le Botteghe TRATTORIA $$

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( 0835 34 40 72; Piazza San Pietro; mains €11.50-16; lunch & dinner daily Apr-Sep, closed lunch Tue-Thu Oct-Mar) In Sasso Barisano, this is a classy but informal restaurant in arched whitewashed rooms. Try delicious local specialities like fusilli mollica e crusco (pasta and fried bread with local sweet peppers).

Baccanti TRADITIONAL ITALIAN $$$

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( 0835 33 37 04; www.baccantiristorante.com; Via Sant’Angelo 58-61; meals €50; lunch & dinner Tue-Sat, lunch Sun) As classy as a cave can be. The design is simple glamour against the low arches of the cavern; the dishes are delicate and complex, using local ingredients. And the gorge views are sublime.

Drinking & Nightlife

L’ Arturo Enogastronomia WINE BAR

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(Piazza del Sedile 15) A chic little white-painted deli/wine bar towards the duomo . Staff will make you up an artisinal sandwich to go with your glass of local vino.

Shibuya BAR

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( 0835 33 74 09; Vico Purgatorio 12; 9am-3am Tue-Sun) This cool little cafe and CD shop is also a bar and has regular DJs; make a beeline for the few outside tables at the top of an ancient alley.

Shopping

Geppetto CRAFT

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(Piazza del Sedile 19; 9.30am-1pm & 3.30-8pm) This craft shop stands out amongst the tawdrier outlets selling tufa lamps and tiles. Its speciality is the cuccù , a brightly painted ceramic whistle in the shape of a cockerel, which was once prized by Matera’s children. The whistles were traditionally considered a symbol of good luck and fertility.

Information

The maps Carta Turistica di Matera and Matera: Percorsi Turistici (€1.50), available from various travel agencies, bookstores and hotels around town, describe a number of itineraries through the sassi and the gorge.

Basilicata Turistica (www.aptbasilicata.it) Official tourist website with useful information on history, culture, attractions and sights.

Ferula Viaggi ( 0835 33 65 72; www.ferulaviaggi.com; Via Cappelluti 34; 9am-1.30pm & 3.30-7pm Mon-Sat) Excellent information centre and travel agency. Runs walking tours (www.walkbasilicata.it), cycling tours (www.bikebasilicata.it), cooking courses and other great tours through Basilicata and Puglia.

Hospital ( 0835 25 31 11; Via Montescaglioso) About 1km southeast of the centre.

Internet Point ( 0835 34 41 66; Via San Biagio 9; per hour €3; 10am-1pm & 3.30-8.30pm)

Maruel Viaggi ( 0835 33 31 35; www.maruelviaggi.it; Via Dante; 9am-1.30pm & 4-8pm) Private travel agency and information centre with good information on buses. Can organise tours.

Parco Archeologico Storico Naturale delle Chiese Rupestri del Materano ( 0835 33 61 66; www.parcomurgia.it; Via Sette Dolori) For info on the Murgia park.

Police Station ( 0835 37 81; Via Gattini)

Post Office (Via Passerelli; 8am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, to 12.30pm Sat)

Sassiweb (www.sassiweb.it) Informative website on Matera.

Getting There & Away

Bus

The bus station is north of Piazza Matteotti, near the train station.

Grassani ( 0835 72 14 43; www.grassani.it) Serves Potenza (€5.50, 1½ hours, four daily). Buy tickets on the bus.

Marino (www.marinobus.it) Runs two services daily to Naples (€12, four hours).

Marozzi ( 06 225 21 47; www.marozzivt.it) Runs three daily buses to Rome (€34, 6½ hours). A joint SITA and Marozzi service leaves daily for Siena, Florence and Pisa, via Potenza. Advance booking is essential.

Pugliairbus ( 080 580 03 58; http://pugliairbus.aeroportidipuglia.it) Operates a service to Bari airport (€5, 1¼ hours, four daily).

SITA ( 0835 38 50 07; www.sitabus.it) Goes to Taranto (€5.50, two hours, six daily) and Metaponto (€2.90, one hour, up to five daily) and many small towns in the province. Buy tickets from newspaper kiosks on Piazza Matteotti.

Train

Ferrovie Appulo-Lucane (FAL; 0835 33 28 61; http://ferrovieappulolucane.it) runs regular trains (€4.50, 1½ hours, 12 daily) and buses (€4.50, 1½ hours, six daily) to Bari. For Potenza, take a FAL bus to Ferrandina and connect with a Trenitalia train, or head to Altamura to link up with FAL’s Bari–Potenza run.

Potenza

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Basilicata’s regional capital, Potenza, has been ravaged by earthquakes (the last in 1980) and as the highest town in the land, it broils in summer and shivers in winter. You may find yourself passing through as it’s a major transport hub.

The centre straddles east to west across a high ridge. To the south lie the main Trenitalia and Ferrovie Appulo-Lucane train stations, connected to the centre by buses 1 and 10.

Potenza’s few sights are in the old centre, at the top of the hill. To get there, take the elevators from Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II. The ecclesiastical highlight is the cathedral , erected in the 12th century and rebuilt in the 18th. The elegant Via Pretoria, flanked by a boutique or two, makes a pleasant traffic-free stroll, especially during the passeggiata .

In central Potenza, Al Convento ( 097 12 55 91; www.alconventopotenza.com; Largo San Michele Arcangelo 21; s/d €40/60; ) is a great accommodation choice housing a mix of polished antiques and design classics.

Grassani ( 0835 72 14 43) has buses to Matera (€5.50, 1½ hours, four daily). SITA ( 0971 50 68 11; www.sitabus.it) has daily buses to Melfi, Venosa and Maratea. Buses leave from Via Appia 185 and also stop near the Scalo Inferiore Trenitalia train station. Liscio ( 097 15 46 73; www.autolineeliscio.it) buses serve various cities including Rome (€24, 4½ hours, three daily).

There are regular train services from Potenza to Foggia (from €6, 2¼ hours), Salerno (from €6, two hours) and Taranto (from €8.50, two hours). For Bari (from €14, three to four hours, three daily), take the Ferrovie Appulo-Lucane ( 0971 41 15 61; ferrovieappulolucane.it) train at Potenza Superiore station.

Appennino Lucano

The Appenino Lucano (Lucanian Apennines) bite Basilicata in half like a row of jagged teeth. Sharply rearing up south of Potenza, they protect the lush Tyrrhenian coast and leave the Ionian shores gasping in the semiarid heat. Careering along its hair-raising roads through the broken spine of mountains can be arduous, but if you’re looking for drama, the drive could be the highlight of your trip.

Aliano

The fascists exiled writer and political activist Carlo Levi to this isolated region in 1935. He lived, and is buried, in the tiny hilltop town of Aliano. Remarkably little seems to have changed since he wrote his dazzling Christ Stopped at Eboli , which laid bare the boredom, poverty and hypocrisy of village life. The Pinacoteca Carlo Levi ( 0835 56 83 15; admission €3; 10am-1pm & 4-7.30pm summer, 10am-12.30pm & 3.30-6.30pm Thu-Tue winter) also houses the Museo Storico di Carlo Levi , featuring his papers, documents and paintings. Admission to the pinacoteca (art gallery) includes a tour of Levi’s house and entry to the museum.

Aliano is accessible by SITA bus (€5.50) from Potenza.

Castelmezzano
& Pietrapertosa

The two mountaintop villages of Castelmezzano (elevation 985m) and Pietrapertosa (elevation 1088m), ringed by the Lucanian Dolomites are spectacular. They are Basilicata’s highest villages and are often swathed in cloud, making you wonder why anyone would build here – in territory best suited to goats.

Castelmezzano is surely one of Italy’s most theatrical villages; the houses huddle along an impossibly narrow ledge that falls away in gorges to the Caperrino river. Pietrapertosa is even more amazing: the Saracen fortress at its pinnacle is difficult to spot as it is carved out of the mountain. You can now ‘fly’ between these two dramatic settlements courtesy of Il Volo dell’Angelo (The Angel Flight; Pietrapertosa 0971 98 31 10, Castelmezzano 0971 98 60 42; www.volodellangelo.com; per person €35-40, couples €63-72) , a heart-in-mouth ride where you are supended, belly down, in a cradle harness, and whizzed via cables across the gorge. The organisers factor in time to explore whichever town you land in before the return cable ride.

You can spend an eerie night in Pietrapertosa at a delightful B&B, La Casa di Penelope e Cirene ( 0971 98 30 13; Via Garibaldi 32; d from €70) . Dine at the authentic Lucano restaurant Al Becco della Civetta ( 0971 98 62 49; www.beccodellacivetta.it; Vicolo I Maglietta 7; meals €25; Wed-Mon) in Castelmezzano, which also offers traditionally furnished, simple whitewashed rooms (double €80).

You’ll need your own vehicle to visit Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa.

Basilicata’s Western Coast

Resembling a mini-Amalfi, Basilicata’s Tyrrhenian coast is short (about 20km) but sweet. Squeezed between Calabria and Campania’s Cilento peninsula, it shares the same beguiling characteristics: hidden coves and pewter sandy beaches backed by majestic coastal cliffs. The SS18 threads a spectacular route along the mountains to the coast’s star attraction, the charming seaside settlements of Maratea.

Maratea

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Maratea is a charming, if confusing, place at first, being comprised of several distinct localities ranging from a medieval village to a stylish harbour. The setting is lush and dramatic, with a coastal road (narrower even than the infamous Amalfi Coast road!) that dips and winds past the cliffs and pocket-size beaches that line the sparkling Golfo di Policastro. Studded with elegant hotels, Maratea’s attraction is no secret and you can expect tailback traffic and fully booked hotels in July and August. Conversely, many hotels and restaurants close from October to March.

Sights & Activities

Your first port of call should be the pretty Porto di Maratea , a harbour where sleek yachts and bright-blue fishing boats bob in the water, overlooked by bars and restaurants. Then there’s the enchanting 13th-century medieval borgo (small town) of Maratea Inferiore , with pint-sized piazzas, wriggling alleys and interlocking houses, which offers startling coastal views. Attractive little shops sell ceramics and artisan food.

It’s all overlooked by a 21m-high, gleaming white statue of Christ the Redeemer  – don’t miss the roller-coaster road and stupendous views from the statue-mounted summit – below which lie the ruins of Maratea Superiore , all that remains of the original 8th-century-BC Greek colony. Another option is the waymarked woodland path, which leaves the village from just beyond the Cappelle dei Cappuccini, and takes you to the statue in 45 minutes; where the path divides near the top, fork right.

The deep green hillsides that encircle this tumbling conurbation offer excellent walking trails and there are a number of easy day trips to the surrounding hamlets of Acquafredda di Maratea and Fiumicello , with its small sandy beach. The tourist office ( 0973 87 69 08; Piazza Gesù 40; 8am-2pm & 5-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm & 5-8pm Sat & Sun Jul & Aug, 8am-2pm Sep-Jun) is in Fiumicello.

Centro Sub Maratea ( 0973 87 00 13; www.marateaproloco.it/it/centro_sub_maratea; Via Santa Caterina 28) offers diving courses and boat tours that include visits to surrounding grottoes and coves.

A worthwhile day trip via car is to pretty Rivello (elevation 479m). Perched on a ridge and framed by the southern Apennines, it is a centre for arts and crafts and has long been known for its exquisite working of gold and copper. Rivello’s interesting Byzantine history is evident in the tiny tiled cupolas and frescoes of its gorgeous churches.

Sleeping

B&B Nefer B&B $

( 0973 87 18 28; www.bbnefer.it; Via Cersuta; r €60-90; ) This friendly B&B, set in the small hamlet of Cersuta 5km northwest of Maratea, has four rooms decorated in sea greens, blues and pinks. Rooms open onto a lush green lawn complete with deckchairs for contemplating the sea view. There’s a simple outdoor kitchen area for guest use and a small rocky beach a short walk away.

Locanda delle
Donne Monache HOTEL $$

( 0973 87 74 87; www.locandamonache.com; Via Mazzei 4; r €130-310; Apr-Oct; ) Overlooking the medieval borgo, this exclusive hotel is in a converted 18th-century convent with a suitably lofty setting. It’s a hotchpotch of vaulted corridors, terraces and gardens fringed with bougainvillea and lemon trees. The rooms are elegantly decorated in pastel shades, while the Sacello restaurant prepares delicate dishes drawing on the regional flavours of Lucania.

Hotel Villa Cheta Elite HOTEL $$

( 0973 87 81 34; www.villacheta.it; Via Timpone 46; r €140-264; Apr-Oct; ) A charming art nouveau villa at the entrance to the hamlet of Acquafredda, this hotel has a broad terrace with spectacular views, a fabulous restaurant and large rooms decorated with antiques.

Eating

La Caffetteria CAFE $

(Piazza Buraglia; panini from €4; 7.30am-2am summer, to 10pm winter) The outdoor seating at this delightful cafe in Maratea’s central piazza is ideal for dedicated people-watching, and it serves homemade snacks throughout the day.

Taverna Rovita TRADITIONAL ITALIAN $$

( 0973 87 65 88; www.tavernarovitamaratea.it; Via Rovita 13; meals €35; Mar-Oct) This tavern is just off Maratea Inferiore’s main piazza. Rovita is excellent value and specialises in hearty local fare, with Lucanian specialities involving stuffed peppers, game birds, local salami and fine seafood.

Lanterna Rossa SEAFOOD $$

( 0973 87 63 52; meals €40; daily Jul & Aug, Wed-Mon Feb-Dec) Head for the terrace overlooking the port to dine on exquisite seafood. Highly recommended is the signature dish, zuppa di pesce (fish soup).

Getting There & Away

SITA ( 0971 50 68 11; www.sitabus.it) operates a comprehensive network of routes including a bus up the coast to Sapri in Campania (€1.80, 50 minutes, six daily). Local buses (€1.10) connect the coastal towns and Maratea train station with Maratea Inferiore, running frequently in summer. InterCity and regional trains on the Rome–Reggio line stop at Maratea train station, below the town.

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Calabria

Tell a non-Calabrian Italian that you’re going to Calabria and you will probably elicit some surprise, inevitably followed by stories of the ’ndrangheta – the Calabrian Mafia – notorious for smuggling and kidnapping wealthy northerners and keeping them hidden in the mountains.

But Calabria contains startling natural beauty and spectacular towns that seem to grow out of the craggy mountaintops. It has three national parks: the Pollino in the north, the Sila in the centre and the Aspromonte in the south. It’s around 90% hills, but skirted by some 780km of Italy’s finest coast (ignore the bits devoured by unappealing holiday camps). Bergamot grows here, and it’s the only place in the world where the plants are of sufficient quality to produce the essential oil used in many perfumes and to flavour Earl Grey tea. As in Puglia, there are hundreds of music and food festivals here year-round, reaching a fever pitch in July and August.

Admittedly, you sometimes feel as if you have stepped into a 1970s postcard, as its towns, destroyed by repeated earthquakes, are often surrounded by brutal breeze-block suburbs. The region has suffered from the unhealthy combination of European and government subsidies (aimed to develop the south) and dark Mafia opportunism. Half-finished houses often mask well-furnished flats where families live happily, untroubled by invasive house taxes.

This is where to head for an adventure into the unknown.

History

Traces of Neanderthal, Palaeolithic and Neolithic life have been found in Calabria, but the region only became internationally important with the arrival of the Greeks in the 8th century BC. They founded a colony at what is now Reggio di Calabria. Remnants of this colonisation, which spread along the Ionian coast with Sibari and Crotone as the star settlements, are still visible. However, the fun didn’t last for the Greeks and in 202 BC the cities of Magna Graecia all came under Roman control. The Romans did irreparable geological damage destroying the countryside’s handsome forests. Navigable rivers became fearsome fiumare (torrents) dwindling to wide, dry, drought-stricken riverbeds in high summer.

Calabria’s fortified hilltop communities weathered successive invasions by the Normans, Swabians, Aragonese and Bourbons, and remained largely undeveloped. Although the 18th-century Napoleonic incursion and the arrival of Garibaldi and Italian unification inspired hope for change, Calabria remained a disappointed, feudal region and, like the rest of the south, was racked by malaria.

A by-product of this tragic history was the growth of banditry and organised crime. Calabria’s Mafia, known as the ’ndrangheta (from the Greek for heroism/virtue), inspires fear in the local community, but tourists are rarely the target of its aggression. For many, the only answer has been to get out and, for at least a century, Calabria has seen its young people emigrate in search of work.

Northern
Tyrrhenian Coast

The good, the bad and the ugly line the region’s western seashore.

The Autostrada del Sole (A3) is one of Italy’s great coastal drives. It twists and turns through mountains, past huge swaths of dark-green forest and flashes of cerulean-blue sea. But the Italian penchant for cheap summer resorts has taken its toll here and certain stretches are blighted by shoddy hotels and soulless stacks of flats.

In the low season most places close. In summer many hotels are full, but you should have an easier time with the camping sites.

Praia a Mare

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Praia a Mare lies just short of Basilicata, the start of a stretch of wide, pebbly beach that continues south for about 30km to Cirella and Diamante. This flat, leafy grid of a town sits on a wide pale-grey beach, looking out to an intriguing rocky chunk off the coast: the Isola di Dino .

Just off the seafront is the tourist office ( 0985 7 25 85; Via Amerigo Vespucci 6; 8am-1pm) , which has information on the Isola di Dino sea caves. Alernatively, expect to pay around €5 for a guided tour from the old boys who operate off the beach.

Autolinee Preite ( 0984 41 30 01; www.autoservizipreite.it) operates buses to Cosenza (€5.50, two hours, 10 daily). SITA ( 0971 50 68 11; www.sitabus.it) goes north to Maratea and Potenza. Regular trains also pass through for Paola and Reggio di Calabria.

Aieta & Tortora

Precariously perched, otherworldly Aieta and Tortora must have been difficult to reach pre-asphalt. Rocco ( 0973 22 943; www.roccobus.it) buses serve both villages, 6km and 12km from Praia respectively. Aieta is higher than Tortora and the journey constitutes much of the reward. When you arrive, walk up to the 16th-century Palazzo Spinello at the end of the road and take a look into the ravine behind it – it’s a stunning view.

Diamante

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This fashionable seaside town, with its long promenade, is central to Calabria’s famous peperoncino (chilli) the conversation-stalling spice that so characterises its cuisine. In early September a hugely popular chilli-eating competition takes place. Diamante is also famed for the bright murals that contemporary local and foreign artists have painted on the facades of the old buildings. For the best seafood restaurants head for the seafront at Spiaggia Piccola.

Autolinee Preite ( 0984 41 30 01; www.autoservizipreite.it) buses between Cosenza and Praia a Mare stop at Diamante.

Paola

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Paola is worth a stop to see its holy shrine. The large pilgrimage complex is above a sprawling small town where the dress of choice is a tracksuit and the main activity is hanging about on street corners. The 80km of coast south from here to Pizzo is mostly overdeveloped and ugly. Paola is the main train hub for Cosenza, about 25km inland.

Watched over by a crumbling castle, the Santuario di San Francesco di Paola ( 0982 58 25 18; 6am-1pm & 2-6pm) is a curious, empty cave with tremendous significance to the devout. The saint lived and died in Paola in the 15th century and the sanctuary that he and his followers carved out of the bare rock has attracted pilgrims for centuries. The cloister is surrounded by naïve wall paintings depicting the saint’s truly incredible miracles. The original church contains an ornate reliquary of the saint. Also within the complex is a modern basilica, built to mark the second millennium. Black-clad monks hurry about.

There are several hotels near the station, but you’ll be better off staying in towns further north along the coast.

Cosenza

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Cosenza’s medieval core is Calabria’s best-preserved historic centre, the one piece of history that has managed to escape the earthquakes that have levelled almost everything else in the region. It rises above the confluence of the Crati and Busento rivers, its narrow lanes winding ever upwards to the hilltop castle. Legend states that Alaric, a Visigoth king, was killed and buried at the confluence of the two rivers.

In the past Cosenza was a sophisticated and lively city, but nowadays there’s a gritty feel to the old town with its dark, garbage-strewn streets and fading, once-elegant palazzi . It’s the gateway to La Sila’s mountains, home to Calabria’s most important university and a major transport hub.

Sights

In the new town, pedestrianised Corso Mazzini provides a pleasant respite from the chaotic traffic and incessant car honking. There are a number of sculptures lining the corso, including Saint George and the Dragon by Salvador Dalí.

In the old town, head up the winding, charmingly dilapidated Corso Telesio, which has a raw Neapolitan feel to it and is lined with ancient hung-with-washing tenements, antiquated shopfronts plus an instrument maker’s and antiquated shoe mender’s. The side alleys are a study in urban decay. At the top, the 12th-century cathedral (Piazza del Duomo; 8am-noon & 3-7.30pm) was rebuilt in restrained baroque style in the 18th century. In a chapel off the north aisle is a copy of an exquisite 13th-century Byzantine Madonna.

From the cathedral, you can walk up Via del Seggio through a little medieval quarter before turning right to reach the 13th-century Convento di San Francesco d’Assisi (off Via del Seggio) . Otherwise head along the corso to Piazza XV Marzo, an appealing square fronted by the Palazzo del Governo and the handsome neoclassical Teatro Rendano (Piazza XV Marzo) .

From Piazza XV Marzo, follow Via Paradiso, then Via Antonio Siniscalchi for the route to the down-at-heel Norman castle (Piazza Frederico II) , left in disarray by several earthquakes. It’s closed for restoration, but the view merits the steep ascent.

Sleeping

B&B Via dell’Astrologo B&B $

( 338 9205394; www.viadellastrologo.com; Via Rutilio Benincasa 16; s €35-40, d €55-80, extra bed €20; ) A gem in the historic centre, this small B&B is tastefully decorated with polished wooden floors, white bedspreads, and good-quality artwork. Brothers Mario and Marco are a mine of information on Cosenza and Calabria in general.

Ostello Re Alarico HOSTEL $

( 0984 79 25 70; www.ostellorealarico.com; Vico II Giuseppe Marini Serra 10; dm/s/d €16/30/50; ) On the opposite side of the river from the duomo , this restored palazzo housing doubles and dorms is something of a challenge to find. But the decor is an appealing combination of old (check out the ancient oven) and new. There’s a pretty garden, and the young owner is a great enthusiast for the region.

Royal Hotel HOTEL $$

( 0984 41 21 65; www.hotelroyalsas.it; Via Molinella 24; s/d/t €55/65/75; ) One of the few decent options in town, the Royal is a short stroll from Corso Mazzini. Rooms are impersonal but comfortable. Stay in the new section of the hotel.

Eating

Gran Caffè Renzelli CAFE $

(Corso Telesio 46) This venerable cafe behind the duomo has been run by the same family since 1803 when the founder arrived from Naples and began baking gooey cakes and desserts (cakes start at around €1.20). Sink your teeth into torroncino torrefacto (a confection of sugar, spices and hazelnuts) or torta telesio (made from almonds, cherries, apricot jam and lupins).

Ristorante Calabria Bella CALABRIAN $

( 0984 79 35 31; www.ristorantecalabriabella.it; Piazza del Duomo; meals €25; 12.30-3pm & 7.15pm-midnight) Traditional Calabrian cuisine, such as grigliata mista di carne (mixed grilled meats), is regularly dished up in this cosy restaurant in the old town.

Per… Bacco!! TRATTORIA $$

( 0984 79 55 69; www.perbaccowinebar.it; Piazza dei Valdesi; meals €25) This smart yet informal restaurant has windows onto the square. Inside are exposed stone walls, vines and heavy beams. The reassuringly brief menu includes a generous and tasty antipasto (€8).

Orientation

The main drag, Corso Mazzini, runs south from Piazza Bilotti (formerly known as Piazza Fera), near the bus station, and intersects Viale Trieste before meeting Piazza dei Bruzi. Head further south and cross the Busento river to reach the old town.

Getting There & Around

Air

Lamezia Terme airport (Sant’Eufemia Lamezia, SUF; 0968 41 43 33; www.sacal.it) , 63km south of Cosenza, at the junction of the A3 and SS280 motorways, links the region with major Italian cities. The airport is served by Ryanair, easyJet and charters from northern Europe. A shuttle leaves the airport every 20 minutes for the airport train station where there are frequent trains to Cosenza (€4.60, one hour).

Bus

The main bus station ( 0984 41 31 24) is northeast of Piazza Bilotti. Services leave for Catanzaro (€4.80, 1¾ hours, eight daily) and towns throughout La Sila. Autolinee Preite ( 0984 41 30 01; www.autoservizipreite.it) has buses heading daily along the north Tyrrhenian coast; Autolinee Romano ( 0962 2 17 09; www.autolineeromano.com) serves Crotone as well as Rome and Milan.

Train

Stazione Nuova ( 0984 2 70 59) is about 2km northeast of the centre. Regular trains go to Reggio di Calabria (from €12, three hours) and Rome (from €45, four to six hours), both usually with a change at Paola, and Naples (from €27, three to four hours), as well as most destinations around the Calabrian coast.

Amaco ( 0984 30 80 11; www.amaco.it) bus 27 links the centre and Stazione Nuova, the main train station.

Parco Nazionale
della Sila

‘La Sila’ is a big landscape, where wooded hills create endless rolling views. It’s dotted with small villages and cut through with looping roads that make driving a test of your digestion.

It’s divided into three areas covering 130 sq km: the Sila Grande , with the highest mountains; the strongly Albanian Sila Greca (to the north); and the Sila Piccola (near Catanzaro), with vast forested hills.

The highest peaks, covered with tall Corsican pines, reach 2000m – high enough for thick snow in winter. This makes it a popular skiing destination. In summer the climate is coolly alpine, spring sees carpets of wildflowers and there’s mushroom hunting in autumn. At its peak is the Bosco di Gallopani (Forest of Gallopani). There are several beautiful lakes, the largest of which is Lago di Cecita o Mucone near Camigliatello Silano. There is also plenty of wildlife here, including the light-grey Apennine wolf, a protected species.

During August, Sila in Festa takes place, featuring traditional music. Autumn is mushroom season, when you’ll be able to frequent mushroom festivals, including the Sagra del Fungo in Camigliatello Silano.

Sights & Activities

La Sila’s main town, San Giovanni in Fiore (1049m), is named after the founder of its beautiful medieval abbey . The town has an attractive old centre, once you’ve battled through the suffocating suburbs, and is famous for its Armenian-style handloomed carpets and tapestry. You can visit the studio and shop of Domenico Caruso ( 0984 99 27 24; www.scuolatappeti.it) , but ring ahead.

A popular ski-resort town with 6km of slopes, Camigliatello Silano (1272m) looks much better under snow. A few lifts operate on Monte Curcio, about 3km to the south. Around 5.5km of slopes and a 1500m lift can be found near Lorica (1370m), on gloriously pretty Lago Arvo – the best place to camp in summer.

Scigliano (620m), in Sila Piccola, is a small hilltop town and has a superb B&B. Valli Cupe ( 334 9174699, 333 8342866; www.vallicupe.it) runs hiking trips in the area around Sersale (739m) in the southeast, where there are myriad waterfalls and the dramatic Canyon Valli Cupe. Trips cost only €8 per person per day (Valli Cupe also runs horseriding tours). Specialising in botany, the guides (who speak Italian and French) also visit remote monasteries and churches. Stay in its rustic accommodation in the town.

Sleeping

B&B Calabria B&B $

( 349 8781894; www.bedandbreakfastcalabria.it; Via Roma 9, Frazione Diano; s/d/t/q €35/60/75/80; Apr-Nov) In the mountains, this B&B has five comfortable rooms, all with separate entrances. Raffaele is a great source of information on the region and can recommend places to eat, visit and go hiking. Rooms have character and clean modern lines and there’s a wonderful terrace overlooking endless forested vistas. Mountain bikes available.

Hotel Aquila & Edelweiss HOTEL $

( 0984 57 80 44; www.hotelaquilaedelweiss.com; Viale Stazione 15, Camigliatello Silano; s €60-80, d €90-120; ) This three-star hotel in Camigliatello Silano has a stark and anonymous exterior but it’s in a good location and the rooms are cosy and comfortable.

Valli Cupe B&B $

( 333 6988835; www.vallicupe.it; Sersale; per person from €20) Valli Cupe can arrange a stay in a charming rustic cottage in Sersale, complete with an open fireplace (good for roasting chestnuts) and a kitchen. All bookings via its website.

Camping del Lago Arvo CAMPGROUND $

( 0984 53 70 60; www.campinglagoarvo.it; Lorica; camping 2 people, tent & car €10-14, bungalows €40-60) Lorica’s lakeside is a particularly great place to camp. Try this large comfortable spot, near the Calabrian National Park office.

Park Hotel 108 HOTEL $$

( 0521 64 81 08; www.hotelpark108.it; Via Nazionale 86, Lorica; r €90-130; ) Situated on the hilly banks of Lago Arvo, surrounded by dark-green pines, the rooms here are decorated in classic bland-hotel style – but who cares about decor with views like this!

Shopping

La Sila’s forests yield wondrous wild mushrooms, both edible and poisonous. Sniff around the Antica Salumeria Campanaro (Piazza Misasi 5, Camigliatello Silano) ; it’s a temple to all things fungoid, as well as an emporium of fine meats, cheeses, pickles and wines.

Information

Good-quality information in English is scarce. You can try the national park visitors centre ( 0984 53 71 09) at Cupone, 10km from Camigliatello Silano, or the Pro Loco tourist office ( 0984 57 81 59; Via Roma; 9.30am-12.30pm & 3.30-6.30pm Wed-Mon) in Camigliatello Silano. A useful internet resource is the official park website (www.parcosila.it). The people who run B&B Calabria in the park are extremely knowledgable and helpful.

For maps, you can use Carta del Parco Nazionale della Sila (€8), which has walking trails (in Italian). The Sila for 4 is a miniguide in English that outlines a number of walking trails in the park. The booklet is available in tourist offices and from the privately run New Sila Tourist Service Agency ( 0984 57 81 25; Via Roma 16)  – a good source of information on the park.

Getting There & Away

You can reach Camigliatello Silano and San Giovanni in Fiore via regular Ferrovie della Calabria buses along the SS107, which links Cosenza and Crotone.

Ionian Coast

With its flat coastline and wide sandy beaches, the Ionian coast has some fascinating stops from Sibari to Santa Severina, with some of the best beaches on the coast around Soverato . However, the coast has borne the brunt of some ugly development and is mainly a long, uninterrupted string of resorts, thronged in the summer months and shut down from October to May.

It’s worth taking a trip inland to visit Santa Severina , a spectacular mountaintop town, 26km northwest of Crotone. The town is dominated by a Norman castle and is home to a beautiful Byzantine church.

Le Castella

This town is named for its impressive 16th-century Aragonese castle (admission €3; 9am-midnight summer, 9am-1pm & 3-6pm winter) , a vast edifice linked to the mainland by a short causeway. The philosopher Pliny said that Hannibal constructed the first tower. Evidence shows it was begun in the 4th century BC, designed to protect Crotone in the wars against Pyrrhus.

Le Castella is south of a rare protected area (Capo Rizzuto) along this coast, rich not only in nature but also in Greek history. For further information on the park try www.riservamarinacaporizzuto.it.

With around 15 campsites near Isola di Capo Rizzuto to the north, this is the Ionian coast’s prime camping area. Try La Fattoria ( 0962 79 11 65; Via del Faro; camping 2 people, car & tent €23, bungalows €60; Jun-Sep) , 1.5km from the sea. Otherwise, Da Annibale ( 0962 79 50 04; Via Duomo 35; s/d €50/70; ) is a pleasant hotel in town with a splendid fish restaurant (meals €30; lunch & dinner) .

For expansive sea views dine at bright and airy Ristorante Micomare ( 0962 79 50 82; Via Vittoria 7; meals €20-25; lunch & dinner) .

Gerace

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A spectacular medieval hill town, Gerace is worth a detour for the views alone – on one side the Ionian Sea, on the other dark, interior mountains. About 10km inland from Locri on the SS111, it has Calabria’s largest Romanesque cathedral . Dating from 1045, later alterations have not robbed it of its majesty.

For a taste of traditional Calabrian cooking, the modest and welcoming Ristorante a Squella ( 0964 35 60 86; Viale della Resistenza 8; meals €20) makes for a great lunchtime stop that serves reliably good dishes, specialising in seafood and pizzas. Afterwards you can wander down the road and admire the views.

Further inland is Canolo , a small village seemingly untouched by the 20th century. Buses connect Gerace with Locri and also Canolo with Siderno, both of which link to the main coastal railway line.

Parco Nazionale dell’Aspromonte

Most Italians think of the Parco Nazionale dell’Aspromonte (www.parcoaspromonte.gov.it) as a hiding place used by Calabrian kidnappers in the 1970s and ’80s. It’s still rumoured to contain ’ndrangheta strongholds, but as a tourist you’re unlikely to encounter any murky business. The national park, Calabria’s second largest, is startlingly dramatic, rising sharply inland from Reggio. Its highest peak, Montalto (1955m), is dominated by a huge bronze statue of Christ and offers sweeping views across to Sicily.

Subject to frequent mudslides and carved up by torrential rivers, the mountains are nonetheless awesomely beautiful. Underwater rivers keep the peaks covered in coniferous forests and ablaze with flowers in spring. It’s wonderful walking country and the park has several colour-coded trails.

Extremes of weather and geography have resulted in some extraordinary villages, such as Pentidàttilo and Roghudi , clinging limpetlike to the craggy, rearing rocks and now all but deserted. It’s worth the drive to explore these eagle-nest villages. Another mountain eyrie with a photogenic ruined castle is Bova , perched at 900m above sea level. The drive up the steep, dizzying road to Bova is not for the faint-hearted, but the views are stupendous.

Maps are scarce. Try the national park office ( 0965 74 30 60; www.parcoaspromonte.gov.it; Via Aurora; 9am-1pm Mon-Fri, 3-5pm Tue & Thu) in Gambarie , the Aspromonte’s main town and the easiest approach to the park. The roads are good and many activities are organised from here – you can ski and it’s also the place to hire a 4WD; ask around in the town.

It’s also possible to approach from the south, but the roads aren’t as good. The co-operative Naturaliter ( 347 3046799; www.naturaliterweb.it) , based in Condofuri, is an excellent source of information, and can help arrange walking and donkey treks and place you in B&Bs throughout the region. Co-operativa San Leo ( 347 3046799) based in Bova, also provides guided tours and accommodation. In Reggio di Calabria, you can book treks and tours with Misafumera ( 0965 67 70 21; www.misafumera.it; Via Nazionale 306d; week-long treks €260-480) .

Stay on a bergamot farm at Azienda Agrituristica Il Bergamotto ( 347 6012338; Via Amendolea; per person €25) where Ugo Sergi can also arrange excursions. Hiking trails pass nearby so it’s a good hiking base. The rooms are simple but it’s in a lovely rural location, the views are wonderful and the food is delicious.

To reach Gambarie, take ATAM city bus 127 from Reggio di Calabria (€1, 1½ hours, up to six daily). Most of the roads inland from Reggio eventually hit the SS183 road that runs north to the town.

Reggio di Calabria

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Reggio is the main launching point for ferries to Sicily, which sparkles temptingly across the Strait of Messina. It is also home to the spectacular Bronzi di Riace and has a long, impressive seafront promenade – packed during the passeggiata . Otherwise, the city’s grid system of dusty streets has the slightly dissolute feel shared by most ports.

Beyond the seafront, the centre gives way to urban sprawl. Ravaged by earthquakes, the most recent in 1908, this once-proud ancient Greek city has plenty of other woes. As a port and the largest town close to the ’ndrangheta strongholds of Aspromonte, organised crime is a major problem, with the associated corrosive social effect.

On a lighter note, there are plenty of festivals in Reggio – early August sees the Festival dello Stretto (www.festivaldellostretto.it) , featuring the traditional music of the south.

Sights

Museo Nazionale della
Magna Grecia MUSEUM

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( 0965 81 22 55; www.archeocalabria.beniculturali.it/; Piazza de Nava 26; adult/child €7/3; museum closed at the time of writing) The museum’s prides are the world’s finest examples of ancient Greek sculpture: the Bronzi di Riace , two extraordinary bronze statues discovered on the seabed near Riace in 1972 by a snorkelling chemist from Rome. Larger than life, they depict the Greek obsession with the body: inscrutable, determined and fierce, their perfect form more godlike than human. The finest of the two has ivory eyes and silver teeth parted in a faint Mona Lisa smile. No one knows who they are – whether man or god – and even their provenance is a mystery. They date from around 450 BC; it’s believed they’re the work of two artists.

Aside from the bronzes, there are other magnificent ancient exhibits. Look for the 5th-century-BC bronze Philosopher’s Head, the oldest-known Greek portrait in existence.

While the museum is undergoing extensive renovations, follow the brown ‘laboratorio’ signs to the Palazzo del Consiglio on Via Portanova where you can see the bronzes for free, albeit lying on their backs on trolleys. Ask to see the video (in English), which tells the gripping story of their discovery and restoration.