Italian Medieval Villages

Let’s have a virtual trip to discover the most delightful antique centers of Italy. Six beautiful places we will visit in the next future.

Castiglione del Lago (Umbria, Perugia)

It is a pentagonal-shaped fortress of the Lion; it was decided to be built by Emperor Frederick II in 1247.

The castle was assembled in this specific way to give the king a strategic control over all of Lake Trasimeno, and of course spot the enemy in timely fashion.

Castiglione del Lago view

The peculiarity of this amazing fortress: its preservation over centuries. You will have the chance to see the three gates; then, inside the municipality.

There are also three plazas and three churches. If you will ever be around Florence area, you should definitely visit this medieval town.

Cefalù (Palermo, Sicilia)

The “Medieval Lavatoio” literally means “washer”, because until last century, people used this special place to wash their clothes.

It is a castle which can be accessed from via Vittorio Emanuele. You will need to climb stairs created from lava stones, while water will be flowing from these stairs. The water of Cefalino river are considered pristine.

Legend tells that the river was originated from the crying of nymph, repented of killing her betraying lover. Medieval Lavatoio is located in the enchanted Sicily island, Cefalu’ it is a city belonging to Palermo.

Recanati (Marche)

The Montefiore castle was erected for defensive purposes in medieval age.

Over the course of the years, the Castle was losing his strategic importance and gradually abandoned.

It is a borough in the Province of Macerata, in the Marche region, Italy. Recanati was founded around 1150 AD from three pre-existing castles. It rises in the Montefiore, about 10 km from the center of Recanati.

During several centuries of economic prosperity, Recanati became home to prominent jurists, writers, and artists.

Bosa (Oristano, Sardegna)

The castle was built in 1112 on top of the hill of Serravalle by the noble Tuscan Malaspina dello Spino Secco family. Legend tells that the jealous marquis built an underpass from the castle to the cathedral so that his beautiful wife would go to church without being seen by indiscreet eyes.

The Castle of Serravalle is a medieval castle in Bosa, province of Oristano, Sardinia, Italy.

Maiera’ (Calabria)

The medieval village has the trait to be on rocky hill. From one side you can see the blue Mediterranean see, from the other, you will view a very deep ravine, which time before it was used to grind grain.

The legend tells that two men were fighting for the love of a beautiful lady. In order to keep peace among people, God decided to separate the city of Maiera’ from the other one.

Maiera’ is between Scalea and Diamante, Cosenza. In summer time is a major attraction for food festivals.

Castellabate (Campania)

Castellabate castle was fabricated between the 11th and 15th century. This fortress has sturdy walls with four towers. Inside the town, can be found old houses, and furnaces.

Nearby the castle, can be visited a fishermen village in San Marco di Castellabate.

Antonia L. Mosca

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Trekking through Italy

In this so delicate time, everybody’s fear is to get infected… So, what do we do? Shut themselves in the house it is not an option anymore. This would not be living healthy mental lives. Especially after the so long and exhausting quarantine, we want to still feel the fresh air, the sun on our face, have a little freedom. Beforehand, we do need to choose carefully the place we wish to visit. An optimal idea for avoiding crowds would be to go on trekking. Italy it is a great place for hitting footpaths. Here, few unknown trails where it is pretty hard to find many people these days:

Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Dolomites

Those are three battlement-like peaks, located in the northeastern Italy. They are probably one of the best-known mountain groups in the Alp. The Tre Cime hike begins from the car/bus park at Rifugio Auronzo, which can be reached by bus or car from the nearby town of Cortina. It is a 10 km trail that can be completed within three hours.

Dolomites

Selvaggio Blu, Sardinia

The Selvaggio Blu means “Wild Blue”, it is a trekking route in the territory of Baunei district. You will walk through creeks, to cliffs, rivers, and caves along with the wonderful Mediterranean scenery. It is a five days challenge for experienced hikers in the wild nature. This is a hike which requires on average seven hours daily for each excursion. Please, be prepared for this competitive adventure.

Selvaggio Blu, Sardinia

Stromboli, Sicily

Stromboli volcano it is a magnificent place to visit because surrounded of its black-sand beaches, and by the magnetic sea, it offers the perfect mind-set for trekking up to the mountain. Since ancient times, the Stromboli is one of few volcanoes in the world that is in near-constant activity. It offers visitors a relatively easy access to a vantage point where its eruptions can be observed from very close range in reasonable safety.

Volcano Stromboli

Monte Pollino, Calabria

It is the green heartland of Southern Italy, halfway between Basilicata and Calabria, you can whiteness breathtaking views, completed with well-preserved medieval towns. Monte Pollino, it is known also as “mountain of Apollo” (the Greek god of the sun), it is the second highest peak of the Pollino massif and the entire Southern Apennines. The Monte Pollino can be climbed all year round; however, best times of the year are from June to October. The trail it is doable from Colle d’Impsio which takes only 3 ½ hours.

Pollino National Park

Valle dei Mulini, Amafi Coast

The Mills Valley, is a verdant grouping of modern ruins nestled at the bottom of a deep Italian crevasse. You can experience the deep crack in the rock which houses and crumbling buildings originated during a huge eruption able to devastate the Mediterranean area 35.000 years ago. Hiking to the Mills Valley, can start walking in the Amalfi coast and discovering the history of the ancient republic with its paper mills and nature. The shorter and easier route it would be starting from Amalfi where you will face the uphill path via the stairways.

Mills Valley

Antonia L. Mosca

Category: Journal | Comments Off on Trekking through Italy