Itinerary through the villages of Pollino

The itinerary through the villages of Pollino starts from the eastern side of the province of Cosenza, to discover Oriolo, one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy with breathtaking views. The castle is the symbol of the medieval village and is among the best Swabian castles in Calabria, home to events and exhibitions. Inside, visitors can admire splendid interiors: the Banqueting Hall, the Audience Chamber, the Hall of Flags, and the exquisite Bedchamber of Margherita Pignone del Carretto, with its dome frescoed with a Triumph of Apollo. Opposite the castle stands the Church of St George Martyr, of Norman origin, which houses the relics of St George and St Francis of Paola. Among the villages of Pollino, Oriolo boasts a noteworthy range of museums: the MUDAM – Museo Diffuso delle Arti e dei Mestieri (Distributed Museum of Arts and Crafts), the Museo della Civiltà Contadina (Museum of Rural Culture) housed in the eighteenth-century Palazzo Giannattasio, the Civic Museum – House of Culture, the Municipal Art Gallery, the Porta San Giacomo Gallery, the Casa delle Arti e delle Idee (House of Arts and Ideas), and the Palazzo Tarsia-Toscano Library Hub. Food lovers can sample three products bearing the De.Co. label (Denominazione di Origine Comunale, Municipal Designation of Origin): milk-fed kid goat, fennel taralli, and the prized extra-virgin olive oil.

The charm of San Lorenzo Bellizzi places it among the villages of Pollino that are absolutely worth a visit: set in a breathtaking location, between valleys opening onto the Gole del Raganello Nature Reserve, it is the perfect destination for a day trip. The small village of San Lorenzo Bellizzi seems suspended in time and vividly recalls its prehistoric origins, documented as far back as the Neolithic period. This is evidenced by the archaeological remains of a burial discovered in the Grotta di Pietra Sant'Angelo around 7,000 years ago – one of the most evocative sites to visit. The name, San Lorenzo Bellizzi, is directly linked to a baronial family in the area, to whom we owe the construction of the first Chapel of San Lorenzo, in devotion to the local saint; later, the government passed to the marquesses of the Pignatelli family (1534). The village still bears traces of the noble families that have ruled it throughout history. 

One of the villages of Pollino that epitomises local traditions is Cerchiara di Calabria, perched on the slopes of Mount Sellaro and dominated by the remains of the medieval castle. Listed as a "City of Bread" and a "Slow Food Presidium", Cerchiara di Calabria dedicates a special festival to breadmaking and the Bread Museum, full of tools and reconstructions of rural life. Among the villages of Pollino, Cerchiara is renowned for the important Sanctuary of Madonna delle Armi, one of the most venerated Marian sites in the region. Originally a Byzantine female hermitage, the present building dates back to the fifteenth century, when it was dedicated to the Madonna delle Armi following a miraculous discovery. Also worth visiting is the Church of St Peter, with its fine paintings. Hiking enthusiasts exploring the villages of Pollino can visit Parco della Cessuta (Cessuta Park), Bosco dell'Acqua Rossa (Red Water Forest), and the legendary Grotte di Cerchiara (Cerchiara Caves), one of the area's key climbing destinations – especially the  Grotta delle Ninfe (Nymphs' Cave), a cavern from which sulphurous thermal waters flow.

In the heart of Pollino National Park, Frascineto represents the Arbëreshë communities (Italo-Albanian), which make up a significant part of the villages of the Pollino area. This is evident in its distinctive urban layout in the form of gjitonìe – traditional Albanian neighbourhoods made up of small houses arranged in a semicircle, all overlooking a shared little square. Among the must-see sights in Frascineto are the Chiesa Parrocchiale di Santa Maria Assunta (Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta), in Baroque style, with its distinctive bell tower and majestic dome; the Chiesa Basilicale di San Pietro e Paolo (Basilica Church of Saints Peter and Paul), dating back to the 10th century and built in Byzantine style; and the Cappella della Madonna delle Armi (Chapel of the Madonna delle Armi, also known as Madonna di Lassù), carved into the rock of the Timpone del Corvo (Raven's Crag). The two Albanian museums are not to be missed: the Museum of Traditional Albanian Costume and the Museum of Byzantine Icons. Wine lovers should not miss a stop at the Cantina Sociale Vini del Pollino (Pollino Wines Cooperative Winery).

If there is one village in Pollino that has become a true "Capital of Pollino" throughout history, it is Castrovillari. The oldest part of the historic centre, known as the Cìvita, represents the hub of the area's socio-political power. Overlooked by the Aragonese Castle of Castrovillari, which once defended the Coscile Valley, this ancient quarter preserves some of the city's finest monumental buildings. These include the Protoconvento Francescano (1220), now home to the SiMuCCà – Sistema Museale Città di Castrovillari (Castrovillari City Museum System), which incorporates the Museo Archeologico di Castrovillari (Archaeological Museum) and the Teatro Sybaris, venue of the "Primavera dei Teatri" festival, one of the most important theatre events in the region. The walk concludes with a visit to the Chiesa di San Giuseppe (Church of Saint Joseph), (16th century), inside which visitors can admire a fresco of the Madonna of Constantinople (16th century) and two important paintings.Castrovillari is also known as the "Carnival Town", and its Carnival brings together fun and folklore.

Morano Calabro is not only one of the most beautiful villages in Pollino, but it is also one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy! Not by chance, it is known as the "Presepe del Pollino" (the Pollino Nativity Scene), in reference to the distinctive traditional costume and its famous Presepe Vivente (Living Nativity). Among the villages of Pollino, Morano Calabro stands out for the ruins of its Castle, its red rooftops, and its medieval settlement laid out along winding alleys, small squares, and arcades descending towards the San Nicola district. The yellow-blue colours of the majolica dome and bell tower of the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maddalena are unmistakable, and inside you can admire a Madonna degli Angeli by Antonello Gagini (1505).  Not to be missed are the Museum of the History of Agriculture and Pastoralism and the Pollino Il Nibbio Naturalistic Studies Centre. In spring, flower and fragrance enthusiasts are advised to visit the Lavender Park of Campotenese and discover why the whole area is called the "Provence of Calabria".

Halfway through our journey through the villages of Pollino, we make a tasting stop in Saracena, home of the delicious Moscato di Saracena, a Slow Food Presidium: the passito wine produced from the native Moscato grape, with the addition of Malvasia and Guarnaccia, ideal to accompany desserts at the end of a meal. Among the villages of Pollino, Saracena is a perfect example of Arab-Turkish urban planning in Calabria. As its name suggests, the village was besieged around the year 900 by Saracen pirates and later liberated by the army of Constantinople, allegedly led, according to legend, by a woman wrapped in a linen sheet. The episode is depicted in the Chapel of St Anthony of Padua and in the sacristy of the Church of Santa Maria del Gamio. Not to be missed is a visit to the Andrea Alfano Municipal Art Gallery, inside Palazzo Mastromarchi (with 250 works of 20th-century Italian and international art) and the Museum of Sacred Art, with a collection of paintings, liturgical furnishings and vestments, reliquaries and archival documents. Nature lovers can explore the Grotto of St Michael the Archangel, inhabited in prehistoric times, and stop at Lake Tavolara.

Fancy a "slow" trip to one of Pollino's villages, which is also one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy? Just go to Altomonte, the "City of Bread" and "Slow City"! A picture-postcard village steeped in a medieval atmosphere, defined by the presence of the Norman Castle (12th century) and the buildings around the main square: the Church of Santa Maria della Consolazione, one of the finest examples of Calabrian Gothic-Angevin art, and the Dominican Convent, now home to the Library and the Civic Museum. Other places to visit include the Azzinari Museum and Art Gallery, inside the Pallotta Tower, and the Belluscio Theatre. The ideal time to visit Altomonte is the last week of May, when the "Gran Festa del Pane" ("Great Festival of Bread") takes place. Among the villages of Pollino, Altomonte offers the tranquillity of the Farneto Park nature oasis, with a pond in the centre and an equipped picnic area.

Pollino National Park has more to offer than just mountains! Among the villages of Pollino that overlook the sea, specifically the Riviera dei Cedri Regional Marine Park, Sangineto is an unmissable gem. The historic centre, with its typically medieval layout, is one of the most characteristic examples of the proximity of sea and mountain in Calabria: a link between Sangineto Lido and the first foothills of Pollino. The scenic staircases of the centre lead to the monumental Castello del Principe (Prince's Castle), erected in the 14th century and now part of the Historic Houses circuit in Calabria: a quadrangular building with four cylindrical corner towers and a 16th-century loggia. Other buildings to visit in Sangineto are the Parish Church of Santa Maria della Neve and the remains of the Convent of San Francesco di Paola (1558). Mountain hikers can reach Lake Penna, of great speleological interest, and the spectacular Vuglio Waterfall (u Gùgliu), which can be reached via the "Path of Dreams".

Let's stay on the Tyrrhenian coast to discover the beauties of Belvedere Marittimo, another of the villages of Pollino suspended between the sea and the mountains.  Belvedere also overlooks the Riviera dei Cedri Regional Marine Park and is famous for its panoramic castle, a Norman stronghold associated with two watchtowers: Torre di Paolo Emilio and Torre di Santa Litterata. Among the villages of Pollino, Belvedere is known as the "City of Love'"because the Capuchin Convent has kept the blood and bone fragments of St Valentine, the patron saint of lovers, for over 300 years. Those who choose  Belvedere Marittimo for their summer holidays, in addition to the beaches, which offer all kinds of services for families, friends and couples, can venture along the north coast, discovering marine terraces, yellow sands and   clay gullies.

Among the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy, Buonvicino is a place of "good neighbourliness", as the name suggests, and above all of good food! Lying at the foot of Monte Orsomarso,  it consists of 19 districts scattered throughout the valley. The first among the villages of Pollino to adopt the tourism model known as the "albergo diffuso" (distributed hotel), under the name "Borgo dei Greci" (Village of the Greeks, from the Sasso dei Greci locality), Buonvicino unfolds as a maze of narrow alleys and noble palaces. Among the most significant are De Paola Palace and the seventeenth-century Ducal Palace of Buonvicino. Among the religious buildings, the Chiesa Madre stands out, dedicated to San Ciriaco Abate, who ruled the Monastery of Santa Maria dei Padri and is linked to the splendid Grotta di San Ciriaco (with an adjoining church in the Corvino Valley), a starting point for excursions and hiking. Not to be missed is a visit to the MAGB – Museo Arti e Gusto Buonvicino (MAGB – Museum of Arts and Flavours of Buonvicino), with five sections exploring the main aspects of the local community and territory. These include a "Hall of Taste" dedicated to Ippolito Cavalcanti, a renowned gastronome at the Bourbon court, active between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and author of the Trattato di cucina teorico-pratica (Theoretical and Practical Treatise on Cooking), containing over 1,000 recipes.

Among the villages of Pollino, Orsomarso is crossed by the waters of the Argentino River Nature Reserve and bears the name of the mountain range of the same name. Sheltered among high karst rocks, Orsomarso is one of the wildest and most fascinating corners of Calabria, rich in natural caves inhabited by ancient Basilian and Byzantine monks: testimony to the period when the village was the heart of the Mercurion, one of the major centres of Eastern monasticism in southern Italy. Among the most representative sites are the rock-cut Church of Santa Maria di Mércuri, the Grotta dell'Arcangelo San Michele (St. Michael's Cave), the Grotta della Madonna di Lourdes (Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes), set in a panoramic and monumental position opposite the historic centre, and the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista (Church of Saint John the Baptist), built on the remains of a medieval chapel and home to important seventeenth- and eighteenth-century paintings. The symbol of the historic centre, which developed around the ancient castle, is the Clock Tower.

Among the villages of Pollino, Papasidero is a go-to spot for rafting enthusiasts and canoeists who want to challenge the rapids of the Lao River, in the Lao River Valley Nature Reserve. Rich in prehistoric remains, Papasidero offers an unmissable gem for archaeology lovers: the famous Romito Cave. Discovered by chance in 1961, this cave shed light on the existence of the "Man of Romito", an inhabitant of the cave and the creator of one of Europe's most important Palaeolithic engravings, depicting the Bos primigenius (the ancient wild ox, a propitious symbol of the hunt). Another place full of charm is the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Constantinople, set in a rocky ridge and the object of pilgrimage because of a miraculous 17th-century fresco. Fans of legends and abandoned places can't miss the small "ghost village" of Avena, a hamlet of Papasidero, among the ancient villages of Pollino still shrouded in mystery.

Laino Borgo is one of the most fascinating villages in northern Pollino, on the border with Basilicata. The beauty of its historic centre, of Lombard origin, passes through numerous churches and chapels, such as the Chiesa Madre del Santo Spirito (Mother Church of the Holy Spirit), the most important building of worship, and the Sanctuary of the Madonna dello Spasimo, also known as the "Sanctuary of the Chapels", among the Marian sanctuaries venerated in Calabria. As the name suggests, the defining feature of this site is the small chapels scattered around, which are reproductions of Jerusalem's "holy places", frescoed and decorated with quotations from the Gospels. Not to be missed in Laino Borgo is the "Giudaica" – a traditional rite held on Good Friday and fully part of Calabrian Easter celebrations. It takes the form of a long procession involving around 200 participants, who stage 19 scenes depicting the Passion of Christ.

Our itinerary through the villages of Pollino ends in Aieta, one of the  Most Beautiful Villages in Italy. Famous for its local crafts, the historic centre of Aieta is characterised by the light colour of the façades and the red of the roofs, as well as the magnificent stone portals worked by local stonemasons between the 18th and 19th centuries. The village is gathered around the imposing Palazzo Martirano-Spinelli, a rare example of a Renaissance building in Calabria , declared a "National Monument": in the centre of the façade there is a loggia with columns and arches, while inside you can visit the Reception Room and the living, music and game rooms, the kitchens, the weapons room and the guardhouse. Among the religious buildings, particular prominence is given to the Chiesa Matrice di Santa Maria della Visitazione (Church of Saint Mary of the Visitation) (16th century), rich in precious works of art from European schools and housing a remarkable Bossi–Prezioso pipe organ (1673), as well as the Chiesa di San Francesco (Church of St. Francis). Among the villages of Pollino, Aieta boasts a long textile tradition, which today can be experienced and admired at the Casa degli Antichi Mestieri (House of Traditional Crafts), where it is still possible to see the weavers at work and buy precious unique pieces of trousseau and traditional clothing.