fiogf49gjkf0d DIAMANTE, THE PEARL OF THE TYRRHENIAN, IS ONE OF
THE MOST IMPORTANT AND BEST-EQUIPPED SEASIDE
RESORTS OF THE RIVIERA DEI CEDRI.
THE CHILLI PEPPER FESTIVAL IS HELD EVERY YEAR IN
DIAMANTE ON THE FIRST TEN DAYS OF SEPTEMBER AND
REPRESENTS AN EVENT OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE NOT TO
BE DISREGARDED.
ORGANIZED BY THE NATIONAL CHILLI PEPPER ACADEMY
IN DIAMANTE, THE FESTIVAL PROMOTES MANY EVENTS
REGARDING CINEMA, ART, CULTURE, SATIRE, MUSIC,
FOLKLORE AND GASTRONOMY, ALL VERY *HOT*, OF
COURSE, AND SEASONED WITH *HIS MAJESTY* THE
CHILI.
DIAMANTE IS SITUATED 92 KM FROM COSENZA.
CIRELLA.....3 KM S
SCALEA, ONE OF THE OLDEST TOWNS ON THE UPPER
TYRRHENIAN COAST OF THE COSENZA REGION.....18 KM
S
PRAIA A MARE, A SUNNY CENTER IN THE GULF OF
POLICASTRO.....20 KM S
MARATEA, A RENOWNED AND POPULAR SEASIDE
RESORT.....40 KM S
COSENZA, MAIN CITY AND MOST IMPORTANT CENTRE OF
THE PROVINCE.....80 KM S
DIAMANTE ON A STRIP OF LAND PROJECTING INTO THE
VIOLET BLUE WATERS OF THE SEA, DIAMANTE OFFERS
NATURAL SCENERY OF EXTRAORDINARY BEAUTY
ENCHANTING PEBBLE AND SAND BEACHES WHICH FORM THE
MOST BEAUTIFUL SEASIDE OF THE TYRRHENIAN COAST IN
THE PROVINCE OF COSENZA, STRANGE-SHAPED VOLCANIC
CLIFFS AND SUPERB GREEN MOUNTAINS FRAME THE
RESORT.
THE NAME OF THIS TOWN IS DERIVED FROM ALL THIS
BEAUTY OR FROM THE OLD NAME OF THE CORVINO
TORRENT, ONCE KNOWN AS THE DIAMANTE RIVER FOR ITS
CRYSTAL CLEAR WATERS.
THE TOWN CENTER ROSE IN THE XVII CENTURY AND
DEVELOPED VERY QUICKLY,
. IT RETAINS INTERESTING RUINS OF THE CARAFA
CASTLE AND THE FINE CHURCH DELLIMMACOLATA.
KNOWN UPTO THE XVIII CENTURY FOR THE PRODUCTION
OF SUGAR CANE, THE TOWN IS NOW FAMED FOR ITS LIME
PRODUCTION. THE MURALS THAT MARK THE HISTORIC
CENTRE MAKE IT A TOWN OF ART.
VERY NEAR THE MAGNIFICENT CORVINO PARK, DIAMANTE
IS ALSO THE SEAT OF THE NATIONAL CHILLI PEPPER
ACADEMY THAT ORGANIZES THE FAMOUS FESTIVAL EVERY
YEAR.
CIRELLA CHARMING SEA RESORT ON THE RIVIERA DEI
CEDRI, HAS AN ANCIENT AND FASCINATING HISTORY.
KNOWN AND INHABITED FIRST BY THE GREEKS AND THEN
BY THE ROMANS, CIRELLA MAINTAINS THE MEDIEVAL
CENTRE OF THE OLD TOWN ON A PROMONTORY DOMINATING
THE SEA WITH A MAGNIFICENT VIEW.
THESE REMAINS ARE INTERESTING ARTISTIC AND
ARCHITECTURAL TESTIMONY THAT SURVIVED DESTRUCTION
BY THE FRENCH FLEET IN 1806. AT THE FOOT OF THE
PROMONTORY THERE IS A MAUSOLEUM, PROBABLY DATING
BACK TO THE ROMAN AGE.
IN THE CENTRE OF THE TOWN IS THE BEAUTIFUL CHURCH
OF SANTA MARIA DE FLORES. FACING THE CIRELLA
COAST, A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE BEACH, THE ISLET
OF THE SAME NAME EMERGES FROM THE BLUE WATERS.
IT IS LESS THAN A KILOMETRE IN CIRCUMFERENCE AND
THERE ARE STILL RUINS OF ANCIENT STRONGHOLDS
THERE.
ENCHANTING SCENERY, A TRANSPARENT SEA FULL OF
FISH, MAGNIFICENT SAND AND PEBBLE BEACHES
ALTERNATING WITH VOLCANIC CLIFFS. SPORT AND
ENTERTAINMENT CIRELLA IS ALL THIS.
SITUATED ON THE HIGH TYRRHENIAN COAST OF THE
COSENZA REGION, WITH A SUMMER PERIOD LASTING FROM
MAY TO OCTOBER.
SCALEA OWES ITS NAME TO THE TYPICAL TERRACED
ARRANGEMENTS OF THE INHABITED AREA. THE HEIR OF
THE ANTIQUE LAOS, OCCUPIED SINCE THE PALAEOLITHIC
AGE AS TESTIFIED BY OBJECTS FOUND IN THE GROTTO
OF THE TALAO TOWER, LOOKS ONTO AN INCREDIBLY BLUE
SEA.
THE TOWER, BUILT IN THE XVI CENTURY, DURING THE
RULE OF CHARLES V, WAS ONCE ON AN ISLAND, NOW
SILTED UP AND JOINED TO DRY LAND. EVIDENCE
REGARDING AN INDIGENOUS IRON AGE VILLAGE FOUND IN
THE PETROSA DISTRICT AND THAT REGARDING THE ROMAN
RUINS OF ANCIENT LAVINIUM BRUTTIORUM STATION,
FOUND IN THE FISCIJA DISTRICT, ARE ALSO EXTREMELY
INTERESTING.
THE MEDIEVAL HISTORIC CENTRE OF THE TOWN IS
DOMINATED BY THE RUINS OF THE NORMAN CASTLE *XI
CENTURY* THAT WITNESSED THE BIRTH OF THE FAMOUS
ADMIRAL RUGGERO DI LAURIA, MENTIONED IN
BOCCACCIOS DECAMERON.
PRAIA A MARE IS ONE OF THE FIRST CALABRIAN
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