The Riviera of Angels - Badolato
On a ridge that juts out toward the sea this village tells a story more than a thousand years long
Where is
From sunrise to sunset, from the sea to the Serre
Badolato faces the sea from the 240-meter elevation of an early inland ridge that oriented from east to west resembles the inverted hull of a boat. Of the two rivers that accompany it, the most important is the Galliporo River, gracefully planted with olive trees and shared with the municipality of Isca sullo Ionio. The municipal territory rises from the Ionian coast, where the Marina flourished in the 1950s , up to the Serre ridge, here well represented by Mount San Nicola (m 1260), an exceptionally panoramic peak at the convergence point of three provinces, Catanzaro, Vibo Valentia and Reggio Calabria.
Getting lost in the labyrinth of the village
Badolato's origins are due to Robert Guiscard, the most famous of the Norman condottieri, duke of Apulia and Calabria, who in 1080 had a castle erected there and encouraged the development of Basilian monasteries. The manor, one of the most important in Ionian Calabria, became the residence of the families that succeeded each other in governing the territory over the centuries, including the Ravaschieri family, who were the most remembered in the 17th century. Subsequent is the adoption of the patron saint Saint Andrew Avellino, of the Theatine order, canonized in 1712, whose liturgical anniversary is fixed on the day of his death in the odor of sanctity, November 10.
A perfect movie setting
Despite earthquakes, Badolato has retained the appearance of the medieval village that has attracted the interest of the film industry in recent years. From the steep ridge line, today's Corso Umberto, side streets branch off, squeezing the old houses into a picturesque network of alleys and paved underpasses. At the highest point of the center, the Castello square traces the space occupied by the Norman manor that has not withstood the ravages of time. As many as sixteen churches and numerous noble palaces remain as evidence of the community's important history. Completing the picture are the continuous panoramic views.
A church against the backdrop of the sea
The list of things deserving attention would be long, but the one that best reflects the spirit of the place is the Church of the Immaculate Conception, consecrated in 1686 but revived in the second half of the 19th century in the neoclassical style, still home to an active confraternity. A characteristic building, embellished by an octagonal dome with lantern, it is striking in its location, isolated as it is at the eastern end of the village, at the top of a steep flight of steps that makes it appear to float in the air. As from the prow of a ship, the view encompasses the entire coast below from the Gulf of Squillace to the promontory of Punta Stilo.
That time the Kurds arrived
Badolato made national headlines in 1997 for the humanitarian mobilization that followed the landing on its shores of a merchant ship carrying 825 mostly Kurdish refugees. What followed was anexperiment in integration that attracted international interest. The most singular of accounts is due to German director Wim Wenders, who made a short film dedicated to the Badolato experience. "In Calabria for the first time I really saw a better world," he said, presenting it in Berlin in 2009 before the Nobel Peace Prize laureates.
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The Riviera of Angels
INTRODUZIONE
The Riviera of Angels
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The Riviera of Angels - Dàvoli
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The Riviera of Angels - San Sòstene
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The Riviera of the Angels - Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Ionio
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The Riviera of Angels - Isca on the Ionian Sea
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The Riviera of Angels - Badolato
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The Riviera of the Angels - Santa Caterina dello Ionio
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The Riviera of Angels - Guardavalle
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