Bagnara Calabra © All Rights Reserved

Bagnara Calabra © All rights reserved. It is absolutely forbidden to modify or publish this ﬁle or its contents on the web. Exclusive property of the Calabria Vigorosa Tourist Consortium in free use and unlimited time to the Municipality of Bagnara Calabra and to the Proloco di Bagnara Calabra. Sale prohibited. Product distributed free and exclusively by the Municipality of Bagnara Calabra and the Proloco di Bagnara Calabra. Company beneﬁting Por Calabria 2007-2013 Pisl Local Tourist Systems / Local Tourist Destinations Pia. eGuide Bagnara Timeless charm

� Calabria Vigorosa eGuide 3 eGuide

Calabria Vigorosa Guide

Editorial director: Giuseppe De Franco

Editorial board: Ettore De Franco, Lorenzo Principe, Mirko Di Maria

Collaborators: Bruno Ienco

The translation of this guide was made with the help of Google Translate

The writing of this guide has been carried out with great care and accuracy. However, we assume no responsibility for changes in schedules, telephone numbers, addresses or other incidents, or for damages or inconveniences from anyone suﬀered as a result of information contained in this guide.

Pro Loco executive committee: Bruno Ienco - president Luigi Barilà - vice president Giuseppe Barilà - secretary Daniele Penna - cashier Concetta Celi -adviser Carmelo Plateroti - adviser Francesco De Biasi - adviser

Municipal administration: Gregorio Frosina - mayor Mario Romeo - deputy mayor Angela Randazzo - assessor Silvana Ruggero - assessor Felice Maceri - assessor Rocco Dominici - assessor

4 eGuide

Beautiful, “sweet” and friendly

I HAVE felt, since I have been president of this Association, the need to create a tourist guide to Bagnara Calabra for citizens and for those who want to know and explore the beauty of its enchanting landscape, the charm of its history, the beauty of its beach, the lush hilly landscape and the goodness of its climate. A project already realized in 2011. After seven years, with this digital guide, I was able to put into practice the second updated edition in its graphics, but above all adapted to the social world, improving it with photos and news. At the first point, the reception of commercial operators, citizens and local associations can not be separated, convinced that the city of Bagnara Calabra keeps the centrality of the guiding country of Costa Viola tourism intact. The guide can be downloaded for free by all those who want to deepen their knowledge on the natural and scenic beauties of our Bagnara both from the site of the Proloco, both from the Municipality and, finally, from that of the publisher. In it are reported the places and sites to visit as well as historical information of cultural relevance. The Palazzo Ducale dei Ruffo, the Garibaldi Fountain, where the hero of the two worlds is said to have quenched his thirst during his stay in Bagnara Calabra, the nature trails of the Croce, Palumbari and Marturano, the Torre di Ruggero, the Norman , the Grotta delle rondini, the Belvedere with adjoining open air theater, the Caravilla Bridge and the tourist port. It will be interesting to try our hand at discovering our surroundings. Pellegrina with the renowned artistic ceramic factories and the ovens that produce the typical wheat bread; Ceramida and Solano Inferiore, located at an altitude ranging from 350 to 600 meters above sea level. From these places, you can admire the enchanting natural spectacle of the Strait of Messina and the Aeolian Islands. The guide also includes restaurant activities and hotels where to stay, to make it easier for tourists to organize their stay in our town.

Bruno Ienco Pro Loco president

5 eGuide

Proud of our roots

THE initiative proposed by the President of the Pro Loco of Bagnara Calabra, concerning the realization of a new tourist guide regarding our territory, finds me particularly satisfied. To be able to carry out this important work without any burden, makes this guide more appreciated, given the difficult economic moment in which the same Pro Loco and the City. The peculiarities of our town, its socio-cultural attractions, its historical sites, its history and its socio-tourist interest are highlighted. Anecdotes are recounted by the author who once gave prestige to Bagnara in the scenario of the guiding country of the Calabrian territory. I invite all to visit our territory that boasts of the ancient and solid maritime traditions handed down from father to son, and enogastronomiche, wishing them good permanence. I take the opportunity to offer a warm greeting to our fellow citizens who have always shown a strong attachment to their roots.

Gregorio Frosina Mayor of Bagnara Calabra

6 eGuide THE story of Bagnara is the mirror, in many ways, of that of Calabria. A great past, great ideas remained unexpressed, great potential that failed to come to light and, then, ordinariness, decline, a complicated present. The Bagnaresi, however, have a good memory and preserve their treasures, their tradition in a treasure that they jealously guard. Bagnara is a forerunner of the work of a people and the ability to recover when necessary. The two terrible earthquakes that the year hit in the eighteenth century have awakened the desire for redemption. The city has been rebuilt and, as you can read in this guide, with such innovative ideas that probably have not been completed because they have not been fully understood. I refer to the project of the Coffee House and the Regio Teatro. These projects are evidence of a great culture of urban furniture, of the aspiration to live in a city on a human scale. This great culture is also witnessed by the architecturally beautiful churches and the stately buildings that have been built there. Too bad that some of them are not accessible to the visitor. Like the Ducal Palace of the Ruffos, renovated, but still inaccessible. The industriousness of the Bagnaresi is also witnessed in the work. The fishing of the swordfish is an art that only here is carried out with great skill, from the art of ceramics, from the ability to establish itself worldwide with the artisan production of nougat. And even in the most modern crafts Bagnara excels. Today the craft of cooking is very fashionable. Here is an art well before the chef's television craze broke out. The proof is not only the number of rooms (no less than 16 restaurants in a village of just over ten thousand inhabitants), but the quality of the dishes served. Eating gourmet, or tasting pizza and biting a sandwich, here in Bagnara is a pleasant experience. The Bagnaresi, then, do not forget their heroes. It is no coincidence that a plaque commemorates the sacrifice of 15 fishermen who heroically drowned a sea storm that hit the city in 1927. And they do not forget their heroines. The women here in Bagnara have played a decisive role in the development of activities and in the management of the life of each citizen. And it is in their honor that the statue at the Bagnarota stands out in memory and in honor of the many women who worked, who helped the community to grow. The territory of Bagnara is particularly impervious and without their help life in Bagnara would have been practically impossible. Economic isolation was the real problem of Bagnara. Everything that was produced could not be sold. The only outlet was the sea, but it was not enough. It was necessary to reach the grades of communication to sell on the surrounding markets. In this context it was the women, the bagnarote, who solved the problem. Men worked the fields, fished, produced artisanal tools. The women with a basket on their heads played a commercial role. They walked towards the roads of great communication and, as Tito Puntillo and Enzo Barilà write in the book "Il caso di Bagnara" (Edizioni Periferia), "they compensated with the transport on their shoulders or on their heads", the disadvantage that nature had decreed for Bagnara . The caravans left the village or the Marinella, passed the Porelli and reached the first stopping point. They resumed their journey towards Pellegrina where there was a second stopping point. The distances between the avant-garde and the group were kept in order to guarantee coverage of the area crossed. The rear was made up of loads of fish. The row proceeded sunflower from Porelli to Piani di Corona, where it was reconstituted compact ».

Giuseppe De Franco Editorial Director eGuide

7 eGuide Summary

How to consult the guide 9

Restaurants, pubs, taverns 10

Accomodations 12

Useful informations 13

Shopping, Mobile coverage, Security 14

Useful phones 15

Territory and population 17

Alarms! Alarms! 19

The Norman abbey 20

Fountain, Tower, Church of the Rosario 21

Coﬀee House and Regio theater 22

Ducal Castle of the Ruﬀos 23

Versace Museum 24

Sanctuary of the Carmine 25

Pescespada, world champions 26

Music, what a passion 27

The Via Popilia 28

The shepherd boy and the siren 29

Events 30

Notes Bibliography: Puntillo-Barilà Il caso di Bagnara (Periferia 1993) - Enciclopedia dei Comuni della Calabria (Il Quotidiano della Calabria) - I Propilei - Valensise “Storia di Bagnara” (Equilibri). Iconographic references: Archivio della Proloco di Bagnara - Wikipedia Commons - Archivio Associazione La Via Popilia - Archivio Premio Mia Martini - Archivio “La Festa del Pane” - Archivio Calabria Vigorosa Calabria Vigorosa is available to fulfill its commitments towards the holder of any rights on published materials.

8 eGuide HOW TO CONSULT THE GUIDE The guide is designed to be consulted on the mobile phone or tablet. It is a Pdf file that always shows one page at a time. After receiving the file, we suggest downloading it to your mobile phone, opening it and activating the "Add to home screen" function. This way it can be opened even without an Internet connection. Just the charged battery.

The file is also provided in ePub format. It is also visible on the smartphone, but it is a format more suited to a larger screen (tablet or PC).

The printing of this brochure is forbidden under the law

Practical information and addresses

This section shows the places to spend a few hours in peace. Places to eat and where to sleep, useful phones, transport, cell phone coverage. All the city and everything you need for the visit. You will find also the name of professional guides in case you want to be accompanied by nice and competent people.

Culture and environment

In this section we host the description of the most important places of the village. There are also short essays that introduce to history, geography, art, traditions, the specifics of the city and the territory. In short, we provide an overview and an essential chronology in terms of art and local culture.

Itineraries on foot

This section organizes the visit generally with walking itineraries. In the online version an interactive map will be provided with an indication of the locations and routes.

9 eGuide Restaurants, pubs, taverns

Pleasure is all yours. In Bagnara Calabra you can enjoy both traditional, local and international cuisine. Gourmets will be amazed by the flavors of dishes with swordfish, with sardine or refined gourmet dishes and prodigious interweaving of ingredients. We provide the addresses. Pleasure to you.

Al Vecchio Teatro - Via Nastari, 17

� Monday � +39 0966 371509 � Pizza

Antica Pizzeria Carbone Rocco - Via Generale Porpora, 9

� n.a. � +39 0966 376397 � Pizza

Carbone Carmelo - Via Don Giovanni Minzoni, 20

� Thursday � +39 0966 371504 � Pizza

Horizon - Via Turati

� Monday � +39 340 495 2275 � Pizza

La Grotta - Corso Garibaldi, 36

� n.a. � +39 0966 474468 � Mediterranean, Pizza, Gourmet

La Feluca - Via Guglielmo Marconi, 2

� — � +39 0966 376126 � Fish

La Taverna del Pirata - Via Filippo Turati, 21

� n.a. � +39 348 073 4519 � Mediterranean, Meat, Gourmet

Le Saie - Via Filippo Turati, 43 bis

� n.a. � +39 340 304 2728 � Mediterranean, Fish, Gourmet

Puerto Niño - Via Rocchi

� Tuesday � +39 340 737 8797 � Typical

Salvador Dalì - Corso Vittorio Emanuele

� Thursday � +39 393 150 3519 - 0966 371355 � Pizza

10 eGuide

Santabarbara 1789 - Loc. Santa Barbara, Pellegrina

� Wednesday � +39 0966 339207 � Mediterranean

Statiola Pastificio - Corso Garibaldi, 200

� n.a. � +39 0966 373468 � Meat, Fish, Gourmet

Taverna Kerkira Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 217

� Monday - Tuesday � +39 0966 372260 � Mediterranean

Trattoria I Paesani - Vico Parini, 5

� Tuesday � +39 348 808 0719 � Meat, Pizza

Via del Corso - Corso Vittorio Emanuele

� Monday � +39 391 773 2987 � Pizza, Fry shop

Zza Mela - Viale Rimembranze

� Monday � +39 340 517 7509 � Pizza

Food & Wine

The specialties of the cuisine of Bagnara are those that every customer expects: fish well cooked. It is a tradition that dates back to the 1600s. The people of the area have always had a good relationship with the sea. They respected him and the sea was grateful. The fish is cooked very well, especially the swordfish. There are even those who cook it together with the other specialty of Bagnara, nougat. And there are also those who use Mediterranean flavors, like the Greek ones, not to forget that there is a lot of Greece in Calabria. Well cooked meat too not to mention pasta. In short, a culinary experience for which a detour is worthwhile.

11 eGuide

Accomodations

Quality is served. The accommodation offer is quite varied and offers a satisfying level of comfort. You can choose the comfort of a 4- star hotel, the concreteness of a 3-star hotel or the family welcome in charming bed and breakfasts. In Bagnara we serve you quality.

� Grand Hotel Victoria - Piazza Guglielmo Marconi, 4

✩✩✩✩ - � +39 0966-376126 - Rooms: 41 - Average prices: 70-140

� Albergo delle Rose - Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 37

✩✩✩ - � +39 0966-371088 - Rooms: n.a. - Average prices: n.a.

� Palma d'Oro - Lungomare

✩✩✩ - � +39 0966-372366 - Rooms: n.a. - Average prices: n.a.

� Veranda sul mare - Via Cortile, 1

B&B - � +39 349 582 0322 - Rooms: 4 - Average prices: 40-60

� Villino Meme - Via Nazionale SS18, 171

B&B - � + 39 0966 371719

� Luxor - Via Nino Bixio, 21

B&B - � +39 393 809 3055 - Rooms: 4 - Average prices: n.a.

� Residence Costa Viola - Vico Parini, 1

B&B - � +39 0966 373333 - Rooms: n.a. - Average prices: n.a.

� Il volo del falco - Via Nazionale SS19, 95 Ceramida

B&B - � +39 349 184 2010

� B&B Anna Uliveto Garden - Località Varmeni

B&B - � +39 347 322 7352

12 eGuide Useful informations

Bagnara has a typically Mediterranean climate with warm and humid summers, but with a climate mitigated by the sea breeze and mild winters. The most pleasant temperatures are in spring and in September and October. The chances of rain are 7% in summer, 42% in November and December, 24% in other months. The hours of light are considerable. They range from about 10 hours in December to over 14 June.

Transportation

Trains. The Ferrovie dello Stato station is served by the Trenitalia regional service. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the city center. The connections to and from Reggio Calabria are quite frequent with a maximum waiting time of 1 hour, which drops considerably in the morning and evening hours. The cost is 3 euros per person. Line bus. The connections to and from Reggio Calabria are entrusted to the Costa Viola Bus and depart and arrive at Bagnara Marinella and at the junction of the national road 18. For timetables and tariffs it is better to call the dealer at the number +39 0965 751 586. Car and bus rental. Bagnara is home to an important car service company that connects the city with Reggio Calabria, the Minniti airport of Reggio Calabria and the Lamezia Terme airport. For information and reservations call the number +39 0966 371039 or number 346 128 7604. The Star Bus is located in via Medina, 12.

Travel agencies

� Easytravel - Corso Vittorio Emanuele II n. 87

� +39 0966 372367 - +39 346 502 6502 - Stefania Cianchetti

� Balnearia Viaggi - Via Nastari n° 26/28

� +39 0966 373483 - Serena Scorza

13 eGuide

Shopping

Ceramics. In Pellegrina there are some factories of artistic ceramics. It is a visit not to be missed. The processing of ceramics is an ancient tradition of Bagnara. The products are of an ornamental nature and commonly used as plates, vases, bowls of various kinds. White clay is widely used and the most used technique is that of the so-called "collaggio", the same used for Capodimonte porcelain. It is really worth taking a trip to the laboratories "Il falco" or "La regina" which are the biggest ones. But do not forget to take a look at the smaller ones. You might come across some unexpected wonder. Nougat. It is probably the best known production of Bagnara and is exported all over the world. In the United States and Canada, they are crazy. Despite the production both in industrial quantities, the workmanship has remained artisanal. It dates back to 1860. It was the Cardone family that started the families of De Forte, Morello, Cundari, Chiarella, Caruso, Careri and Minutolo. The most famous specialty is that to "poglie" so called because the nougat is covered with a layer of sugar that is cooked with water and literally brushed on the nougat. The quality of the ingredients is the secret of his goodness. It is exquisite and you will not be disappointed even if to buy it you should spend a little more than those of industrial production.

Cellular network coverage

According to data released by the Ministry of Economic Development, the coverage of the cellular network is equal to 84.1% in 2018. In 2020 all the municipal territory will be covered (100%)

Safety

There are no particularly risky areas in the territory of Bagnara Calabra. However we recommend to those who had to venture into areas particularly inaccessible to ensure the weather conditions, to check the existence of alert by the Regional Civil Protection (Telephone 800 22 22 11 only from Italy, from abroad +39 0961 7673) and to warn the urban police of Bagnara.

14 eGuide

Useful phones

City Hall - Corso Vittorio Emanuele II

� +39 0966 372709

� Post office - Corso Garibaldi, 2

� +39 0966 371 160

Local maritime office - Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi, 28

� +39 0966 371 303

Emergency medical Service - Corso Vittorio Emanuele II

� +39 0966 372 251

� Scilla Hospital - Largo Tripi Superiore - Scilla

� +39 0965 790 071

� Pharmacy Cambareri - Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 43

� +39 0966 371 376

� Pharmacy ex Gioffrè - Via Nazionale, 158

� +39 0966 371 387

� Pharmacy Parisio - Via Nazionale - Pellegrina

� +39 0966 377 000

� Pharmacy Valensise - Piazza Morello, 25

� +39 0966 371 154

� Pharmacy Versaci - Via Provinciale, 13 - Solano Inferiore

� +39 0966 335 166

� Professional tour guides

� +39 333 105 4532 - Francamaria Giordano

15 eGuide PEOPLE CULTURES

ENVIRONMENT

16 eGuide Territory and population

Bagnara Calabra is located a few kilometers from Scilla in a fabulous natural scenery. The ancient center is perched on the pre- Aspromontane hills and can be reached through a steep road made of hairpin bends overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea in the part where, immediately after, Sicily and Calabria seem to join. The track of the carriage road has remained almost unchanged and, today, the high bridges and viaducts of the Mediterranean motorway that you see, looking upwards, run over, plastically represent a nature that is of extraordinary beauty and, just as extraordinarily, impenetrable. Bagnara is one of the entrance gates to the Aspromontana area which, even more, presents such contrasts that make Calabria a unique region in the world.

The landscape The view that opens up between the turquoise color of the waters of the Strait and the green of the Mediterranean Macchia is a spectacle of rare beauty. Today, despite the addition of the modern Bagnara with buildings not entirely adapted to the natural architecture, the beach has maintained the characteristics that led many noble families to build summer residences. Set in steep slopes carved by the wind and the erosion of the sea, we ﬁnd the small beaches of the Rondini, Monaco and Leone, accessible only by boat. A good idea of the harshness of the area is coming from the highway when crossing the bridge over the Sfalassà stream. The view is impressive as is the work considered among the best built in the world. The bridge is the highest (about 250 meters) existing between those with a "pushing portal". It was designed in 1967 and opened to traﬃc in 1972.

The origins Bagnara originated from the abbey of Santa Maria degli Apostoli around the year 1085 which was built by Roger the Norman. The town was a fief of the monastery of Santa Maria di Messina and then was sold to the Ruffos. Bagnara was destroyed by the earthquake of 1783 and suffered significant damage even in that of 1893. It was finally hit violently in the earthquake that destroyed Reggio Calabria and Messina in 1908. On the origins of Bagnara there is, however, a historical dispute. The scholar Rosario Cardone in one of his works dating back to 1873 states that Bagnara was built long ago. He moves the date to 500 B.C. while admitting that "... though we are so far in the dark about the precise age ...". He claims to have found "lapidary inscription" in the history of the civil wars between Octavian and Pompey (44-31 BC). Francesca Valensise (History of Bagnara Calabra, Equilibri editore) defines "largely questionable" the certainties of Cardone. The formation of today's Bagnara, in any case, is the dating

17 eGuide

This view from the surroundings of Granaro effectively shows the extraordinary position of Bagnara Calabra set between two steep slopes (Da Wikipedia commons - Photo by Jacopo Werther).

to the decision of Roger, First Count of Calabria and Sicily, to build the abbey of Santa Maria degli Apostoli in 1085. The inhabitants of Bagnara suffered for centuries the arrogance of the Normans and the Bourbons and the assaults of the pirates and, perhaps, for this reason the city was among the main supporters of the advanced Garibaldian that led to the unification of Italy. The Bagnaresi not only joined the army of Garibaldi, but hosted the hero of the two worlds during its ascent to Teano that I bring to the historic handshake with Vittorio Emanuele II. Garibaldi was housed in the house of the Roman family on August 24, 1860. For many of Bagnaresi it was the moment of redemption from years of reprisals and violence by the Bourbon army of Ferdinand II.After the unification of Italy the city had a new cultural and economic fervor interrupted by the earthquake of 1893 which caused deaths and damages. But he managed to get up by proposing a high quality reconstruction. There are testimonies of projects and drawings of buildings, many of which, unfortunately, were not built, but bear witness to the cultural fervor of the people of Bagnara. In fact, there are drawings dating back to that time depicting plants of buildings with baroque features such as a coffe house, a theater and a royal house of justice. Bagnara gave birth to the industrialist Vincenzo Florio (1823-1868) who then moved to Sicily and to the journalist Vincenzo Morello (1860-1933). It is a charming town with straight streets like the long Corso Vittorio Emanuele leading to Piazza Marconi, lined with beautiful palm trees.

18 eGuide Alarms! Alarms!

«Arrivano li turchi» was a cry mixed with fear, alarm courage that all the coastal populations of Calabria periodically launched at the sight of the unmistakable ships of pirates coming from Turkey and the North African Arab countries. The inhabitants of Bagnara, like almost all those in the villages of southern Italy, were forced to defend themselves above all by moving away from the shores on which the pirates always managed to descend to plunder the people who resided there. They were long periods of nightmare and terror. The pirates were preparing their raids, helped by the speed of their light ships, which departed from Tunis, Algiers, Tripoli and from the Turkish coasts. In reality they began to infest the seas in search of the great galleons to be plundered of everything they transported (gold, spices, fine fabrics) for the ruling class of the time. It is said that the Ottoman corsair Khair el Din, better known as Barbarossa, returning from one of his raids in Liguria, had decided to assault Reggio Calabria. It was the year 1513. The pirate fleet approached the Calabrian coasts just near Bagnara. Khair el Din, in fact, had decided to coast from there on up to Reggio to exploit the strong currents of the Strait so as to get his ships very fast in the roadstead and do not give the population to save themselves. The crew was tired. Hungry. They had heard of beautiful women who lived in those places and wanted to see with their own eyes if all this was true. The ships began their own cabotage from Bagnara. But Khair el Din was struck by the crags Cher plunged into the sea. He had never seen such things. He wanted to get even closer and was stunned when he saw the valley of the stream Sfalasà. He wanted to stop and get off the ground despite his officers strongly discouraged him. "We can not stop. The currents are favorable, we will arrive in Reggio Calabria in a short time and we will surprise them ». Khair el Din did not want to hear reasons. And so he went ashore with a lifeboat. He ordered his men not to touch either the women or the houses of that population. He was so attracted to those places that he could not help but move on. It was a world he did not know. A nature that dominated him. And that perhaps for this bothered him. He who felt himself the most powerful and the most terrible man in the seas. A nature that, however, also gave him a feeling of peace and well-being. He was fascinated by those places. And it is said that his men had to work hard to bring him back to the ship to carry out the mission to plunder Reggio. Bagnara was thus spared from Khair el Din. Even today this corner of paradise preserves intact all its charm of 6 centuries ago.

19 eGuide � Life, Culture, Society

The Norman abbey

The altar

The abbey is located in the lower art of the city just a few meters from the seafront. It was founded by the Normans in the year 1085 together with that of Cetraro, Mileto and Sant'Eufemia. The building is called the Abbey of Santa Maria and the Twelfth Apostles. It was Ruggero I who chose Bagnara for its construction, declaring it initially subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Holy See. It took 32 years to complete the work. It was consecrated on October 13, 1117. The artifact, of Gothic-Norman style, was a single nave with beautiful mosaics and precious decorations. The abbey was subject, by Roger II in the meantime become king of Sicily, to the diocese of Cefalù. This decision obtained the ratification of Anacletus II the pope appointed after the schism of 1130 which was opposed to Innocent II, in turn appointed after the death of Pope Honorius, first and of Chancellor Aimerico, later. In the contraposition that followed the Normans supported Anacletus who had no difficulty in securing the obedience of Rome and, subsequently, that of central and southern Italy. Innocent II had to repair in France. The Pope as a sign of gratitude named Roger II the king of Sicily and he tried to repay by subjecting as many churches as possible to the new pope. In Bagnara, however, Prior Arduino opposed and the antagonist of Anacletus II, Innocent II declared both the subjugation by Roger II and the provision of recognition of Anacletus to be null. The subjugation of the abbey was a real battle that fought for centuries and closed only in 1818 as Pope Pius VII suppressed the abbey and assigned the church to the archbishop of Reggio Calabria in whose sphere today falls.

20 eGuide � Life, Culture, Society

Garibaldi fountain

This fountain recalls the entrance in the town of Giuseppe Garibaldi on 24 August 1860. The hero of the Two Worlds went up the peninsula to make Italy one big country. The general stopped to stay overnight at Bagnara, a guest of the Romano family.

Aragonese tower

The tower is located in the district Cacilì and precisely in the spur of Capo Rocchi. It is a 16th century building which is part of the Aragonese defense system against the Turkish invasions.

Church of the Madonna del Rosario

The church contains frescoes by Primo Panciroli, a precious painting by Paolo De Matteis dating back to 1712 and a statue of the Eternal Father of the 18th century. The original project is by Pietro De Nava, renovated by the architect Francesco Albanese. The bell tower is by Carmelo Barbaro.

21 eGuide � Life, Culture, Society

Coffee house and theater

During a survey on some historic buildings, some documents were found at the end of the 1970s in the City Hall archives that document an intense urban planning activity. The photos represent, the top one, a plant of a coffee house. The one on the right, a project of a "Theater, Municipal House and Royal Justice" by architect Domenico Paladino, dating back to 1867. The exteriors are with evident neo- gothic features like other plants found, a representative of a neoclassical cemetery. These buildings, unfortunately, were never realized. Their works are evidence of a remarkable cultural and architectural tradition of which even today the inhabitants are the legitimate heirs and representatives.

22 eGuide � Life, Culture, Society

Palazzo Ducale dei Ruffo

It stands on a cliff with a breathtaking view of the sea. It was built by Hermes, first prior of Bagnara, and was inhabited by the same religious, around 1100. Many personalities stayed here, including Richard the Lionheart. It was destroyed by the earthquake of 1783. Reconstructed, it was the residence of the Ruffo family and the Mazzetti family. It has been recently renovated but is not yet open to the public.

In the fifties, two local professionals, in the name of the nineteenth-century vocation of beauty and urbanism, the engineer De Moià and the architect Albanese designed a project that involved the transformation of the castle into a grand hotel. Unfortunately, the project did not, like those of the Coffee House and the Teatro Regio, had a practical realization, but remains a testimony to Bagnara's noteworthy cultural vivacity.

23 eGuide � Life, Culture, Society

Versace museum

A crucifix used during religious services

The "Angelo Versace" Museum created by the Archconfraternity of Maria SS. of the Carmelo of Bagnara Calabra with the Directorate of the Commission of Sacred Art of the Calabrian Episcopal Conference, with the Archival Superintendency of Calabria and the advice of the art historian, thanks to the contribution of the Provincial Administration - B.C. - of Reggio Calabria, born from the desire to make known the sacred and documentary heritage of the Archconfraternity itself. At the same time the Archaeological Section was set up to be enriched over time, motivated by the scientific interest of the evidence that the excavations conducted in the 90s by the Archaeological Superintendence of Calabria in the territory of Bagnara, have highlighted. The Brotherhood of Mary of Monte Carmelo di Bagnara Calabra, officially founded March 6, 1685, was born as a brotherhood of devotion still flourishing. Encouraged by the feudal Ruffo family, the confraternity reached its peak in the nineteenth century, taking on a prestigious role in the city. The king Vittorio Emanuele III granted the privilege to raise the royal insignia in the emblem of the Archconfraternity for the reception reserved to the Prince of Piedmont and his wife. The rich archive attests its intense activity in three centuries of history. The archive of the Archconfraternity Maria SS. of Monte Carmelo is an important asset, made even more interesting and significant for the type of documentation preserved. Although the most conspicuous part is to be ascribed to the nineteenth century, few but significant documents testify to the life of the Archconfraternity in the eighteenth century; the seventeenth- century documentation has instead been completely dispersed.

24 eGuide

Il Santuario del Carmine

The church, located in Piazza del Monte Carmelo, is owned by the Arciconfraternita di Maria Santissima del Monte Carmelo. Its interiors are of rare beauty. It is an authentic Byzantine style work of art. According to some documents, the archconfraternity was established in 1685. On the site decorcarmeli.it, however, its constitution dates back to March 6, 1687. The abbey was governed by the Dominican fathers. It was founded as a charitable and charitable institution and was characterized by a link with the guild of loggers, with the fishermen and farmers.

The splendid facade of the church. Inside you can admire the beautiful ceiling decorated with artistic lights and a beautiful chandelier and a Byzantine icon of the '500 representing the Virgin Brown.

The oldest document is a brief parchment of Pope Benedict XIII concerning the granting of indulgence and testifies to the importance that the confraternity had already acquired less than a century after its foundation. Through the cards the life of the brothers and of the city resurfaces, the cult and the devotion, the piety and the charity, the desire to make more and more "adorn" the church of the Carmine. The exhibition itinerary embraces these thematic aspects by integrating with other sources. The section of sacred art displays an ecclesiastical furnishings and liturgical vestments from Messinese and Neapolitan workshops active between the 18th and 19th centuries. The finds exhibited in the archaeological section document the use of this territory in the Eneolithic Age, in the Age of Metals up to the Byzantine-Norman and modern age. In the Norman age, Bagnara became an important feud and Roger I built the abbey of St. Mary and the Twelve Apostles there.

Texts in Italian by: R. Agostino, E. Della Valle, L. Lojacono, G.Oliva

25 eGuide � Life, Culture, Society

Pescespada, world champions

On the left, two walkways ready for the open sea. Under the swordﬁsh festival

From felucas to passerelle

Fishing for swordfish is an activity that dates back to the end of the 18th century and began almost by chance. At that time in Bagnara an intense shipbuilding activity took place. The Bagnaresi were expert navigators because the only possibility they had to communicate with the rest of the world was by sea. They had, therefore, an experience that had made the ship built there among the best in the Kingdom. Among other things, the city was surrounded by chestnut and jasmine woods. The Bagnaresi, on the other hand, had been very careful to treat the forest to extract raw materials that were commercialized using wood to build houses and boats. The Napoleonic wars had given this type of activity a significant boost by making those that today we could define the industrialists of the place become very rich. It was at the end of the eighteenth century that the "Feluca" was launched from the shipyards of Bagnara, a 24-meter twin-shaft with 24 oars. The requests became numerous also because real masterpieces came out of those shipyards. The canals were built with equipment that varied according to the requests of customers, just as today the cars come out of the factory in different versions. Today's passerella has its ancestor in the palamitare built in the Bagnaresi shipyards for passenger transport from Calabria to Messina. Soon they were also used for fishing together with the fishing boats. But the real turning point was the construction of the deck, a very fast boat driven by 4 very long oars, very light and resistant to the powerful arms of the fishermen. Today's passerelle are 12 to 14 meters long, have a 22-meter overhang and a 32-meter-tall tree. Once the prey has been identified, it is hit by the man positioned on the footbridge. The lance must strike before the spine to the height of the eye. The hit fish sinks, pulling behind the top. Then, exhausted, he stops and is hoisted on the boat. At this point begins the procedure that will bring it on our tables.

26 eGuide � Life, Culture, Society

The current band of Bagnara Calabra, led by the young maestro Vincenzo Panuccio and, on the left, Mia Martini in Venice in 1973

Music, what a passion

Bagnara has always had a particular fondness for music. Mia Martini (in the century Domenica Bertè) and sister Loredana Berté are native to this city that boasts an uncommon band tradition. Mia Martini started very young to sing in country festivals and soon imposed itself on a national level. Among his most beautiful songs "The Magone" and "Little Man" with which he won the 1972 Festivalbar. A monument is dedicated to Mia Martini and in his honor every year, in the first ten days of October, a singing competition takes place in Piazza Municipio. Very curious are the stories of the Bagnarese music bands whose life is very tied to the administrative and political events of the city. The red band and the white band were, since their inception, antagonistic among themselves. The first of them dates back to the mid-1800s. Two musicians led by Vincenzo Putortì and Luigi Bagalà. Diverging interests led to a deep rift between them so much that the municipal council in 1896 was forced to dissolve the gang. There was a heated debate over the choice of the new director. It was appointed Gerolamo Calì of the white party that then ruled. But 3 years later the reds went to the city government. Calì was sent away and in his place his antagonist Francesco Alati was appointed. Calì did not give up and won a band that called the White Band. Alati then called his red band. The latter were imposed on a national scale. First they obtained the first degree in Orbetello in 1920. In 1921 Alati and his musicians won the competition for musical groups announced in Florence for the celebrations of the seventeenth year of Dante. In 1923 the master Alati won the silver medal of the Ministry of the Navy and in 1923 there was another success in Messina. Then fascism closed the two bands. In 1945 they joined and formed a single group of musicians today led by the young maestro Vincenzo Panuccio.

27 eGuide � Itineraries on foot

The Via Popilia, slow tourism

Bagnara was crossed, at Solano Inferiore, from the ancient Roman road called "Popilia" that from Reggio Calabria led to Capua. It was 321 miles long according to the text found on a plaque, the "Lapis Pollae", in Polla (Salerno). It was used by the Romans for military purposes. Legions and supplies passed through the soldiers who were stationed in the South or in Sicily. In the Norman period, the lower Solano station was used as a customs post by the Ruffo, dukes of Bagnara, to collect the tolls of goods passing through their territories. The association "La Via Popilia", periodically organizes walks. The section starts (stage 15) from Bagnara - Solano and arrives in Scilla. The duration is about 6 hours including rest and meals (usually sandwiches prepared at the start). Interested parties can call the association to the numbers +39 0984-403690 or +39 338 609 2340 to know the dates of execution and all the details. It is, of course, possible to organize an exclusive journey always by calling the numbers above.

Images of exhibitions organized during the walk

28 eGuide

� Nature and Sport

The shepherd boy and the siren Immersing yourself in the pristine nature of the torrent Gaziano brings to life a lost world and makes fantastic stories credible

Bagnara rises in front of the stretch of water from the Tyrrhenian Sea and is situated on a slope that slopes towards the sea. Its origin is lost in legend as the fabulous corner of the Sirens. For its wonderful charm, it could not escape the imagination of our ancestors, the legend of the shepherd Gaziano, a young shepherd who kept his flock on the hills high aspromontane. He spent his days leading the flock to pasture and was delighted to play the flute. One day, while he was dozing under a tree, he was attracted by the charming song of a mermaid and, asleep, in a dream, he saw a girl looking regal and charming emerge from the waves of the facing sea. The vision attracted him and, abandoned the flock, went down the slopes of the hill in search of the girl admired in a dream and, here, the mermaid singing of the siren held him in the tormented anxiety to see that face, which had enchanted his heart in one summer afternoon, while resting on the rocks. The enchanting vision reappeared and, as he tried to speak to her, it disappeared into the waves. From that day on, uninterruptedly, Gaziano placed a rose on the place of vision as a tribute to the girl of his dreams. Crazy of love, he decided to build a raft in an attempt to track down the beautiful girl, but pushed by the sea currents arrived at Stromboli. Taken from the roar of the volcano and a reddish rain, he continued to sail to the nearby islands. From here he arrived in the palace of a virtuous sorceress, to whom he unveiled his drama of love. From the sorceress, Gaziano, he learned that the girl, of whom he was in love, was part of the nymphs of the Goddess Teti, queen of the sea. Returning to the place from which he had left, Gaziano, to propitiate the favor of the goddess Teti, offered the goddess a sacrifice, invoking the grace to see the girl of her dreams again. After the sacrifice had occurred, Gaziano saw the girl coming out of a shell. Radiant with joy, he began a dialogue of love that did not find confirmation. It was then that Gaziano, desperate for love and tormented by exhausting madness, broke into tears and lying down in that place, became a torrent whose bitter tears flowed towards the waves of the sea to reach his beloved girl. Italian text by Natalino Tripodi ✝

29 eGuide � Events

Not to be missed • The Gran Gala del Pescespada held every year in August • The Pellegrino Bread Festival of Grain held every year in August • The Mia Martini Award held every year in October

It's a big party of the sea. Fresh peach fish is cooked in the square and consumed instantly. Mediterranean fragrances and an incredible desire to have fun.

A really special, homemade bread. It is served in artisan ceramic dishes along with local delicacies and flavors of a lost world. If you go there once you will come back.

These are the days when Bagnara Calabra rises to the capital of the song. Every year, for almost 3 decades, discovering new talents with many well- known characters.

30 eGuide

� Calabria Vigorosa eGuide

Bagnara, unexpected charm

This guide was commissioned by the Municipality of Bagnara and the Proloco of Bagnara and built by Calabria Vigorosa, beneﬁciary of a grant of the Por Calabria 2007-2013. It is distributed free of charge in its electronic form (epub and pdf). We submit a questionnaire to help us improve it and for statistical purposes as well. The information will be treated anonymously in full compliance with current regulations on data protection and privacy (Legislative Decree No. 196/2003).

Was this guide useful for you?

Very Little Enough

What did you like about the guide?

Cultural, historical and architectural contents 1 2 3

Environmental content-uses and customs 1 2 3

Enogastronomic and craft contents 1 2 3

Practical information-useful addresses 1 2 3

Sports-wellness contents 1 2 3

� Mail to Mayor

� Mail to Calabria Vigorosa

DOWNLOAD CALABRIA VIGOROSA GUIDES