Albidona

The history of Albidona is shrouded in legend. The town is said to have been founded by a group of refugees led by the soothsayer Chalcante who, returning from the Trojan War, landed on the coast of Calabria Citeriore, where he died. Since the term Albidona or Alvidonia derives from Hebrew and means 'lower flame', one could think of the existence of an ancient extinct volcano in the area.

The name of the town could also derive from its geographical position, located on three hills facing the sea, interpreting the term 'Albidona' as '...which gives the dawn'. Situated between the Alto Ionio Cosentino and the Pollino massif, inaccessible from the valley and easily defended from the mountain, the ancient village of Albidona preserves an ancient history and deep-rooted traditions; the peasant and craft traditions are still alive. The musical tradition is coming back to life with players of local instruments such as the reed-pipe, tambourine, accordion and oleander flute, and there is a reappraisal of traditional rituals that are manifested above all in popular festivals such as St. Anthony with the raising of the 'ndinna', the cuccagna tree, on 13 June, or St. Michael, the patron saint, worshipped on 8 May, or Holy Week with dialectal songs.