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  • Writer's pictureBen DeSouza

Exploring Castrovillari & Corigliano

Updated: Apr 27, 2020

As previously planned, my intern friends and I were planning to take full advantage of exploration that is local to Terranova da Sibari. These locations were Castrovillari and Corgliano, both of which were a 50 minute bus drive away. Castrovillari is said to be a great place to view the mountains of Calabria and Corigliano has an historic castle town and is close to the sea.


The first destination of our adventures was Castrovillari with an ongoing festival being an extra incentive to visit. Upon arrival we were greeted with a stage setup in the centre of town, ready for a display of traditional Italian singing and dancing. The town itself was only slightly larger than Terranova but festivals are great methods to add a lively atmosphere. The people in Castrovillari were very friendly towards us and in great spirits. It was another great example of the Italian hospitality despite a clear language barrier shown between the interns and I.


The festival was a nice and lively event but perhaps what stood out for me about Castrovillari was the stunning views of the Calabrese mountains that was spoken so highly of. It was fair to say the interns and I made good use of our time soaking in the stunning views of the mountains, especially staying long enough to see the sun setting adding a perfect-pink glow. Terranova has good mountain views but the views of the mountains in Castrovillari truly blew me away. It was a perfect conclusion to the outing as the highlights spoken about Castrovillari exceeded all of our expectations.


With Castrovillari explored we were eager to witness what the city of Corigliano had to offer. From the word of mouth of our line-managers, Corigliano had a range of highlights including: a white Castle on a hill, authentic narrow streets, a bustling city atmosphere and a short trip to the beach! We began our adventure in the section 'Corigliano Calabro' where the castle was located. Entering the castle was unfortunately too expensive for our liking but we still enjoyed witnessing the castle and exploring the streets of the city. The main part of the city certainly did not disappoint for everywhere I looked there was something new and interesting to see in this hidden gem of a city.


Corigliano's second section was 'Corigliano Scalo' which was more modernised than 'Corigliano Calabro'. The talking point about this section of Corigliano that interested me the most was the close proximity to the sea. I haven't seen the sea since my visit to Den Haag during my placement in Amsterdam and the weather this time round is a vast improvement. As it is still February, the sea was too cold to swim in, but as a result there were no mass crowds of tourists to interrupt the peace and pictures of the views. My other intern friends haven't seen the sea for almost a year so it was particularly special moment for them. The beach also provided good mountainous views which added a nice aesthetic to the overall scene and helped us all relax better.


Small locations such as Castrovillari and Corigliano don't get highlighted as much as places such as Sorrento, Sienna & Bergamo but that certainly doesn't mean the locations are not worth exploring. Calabria has many hidden gems waiting to be discovered and it's a nice escape from mass tourism. Whilst I also intend in visiting greater highlighted locations such as Napoli/Naples, Bari & even Sicilia/Sicily, it's lovely to explore small and more local locations. It's a chance to discover new highlights of a nation and appreciate everything a country has to offer. I look forward to more exploration opportunities in the future with my fellow intern friends in my free time. It's also a good chance to help others make the best of local exploration as I was seen as 'The Guide' for our excursions to Castrovillari & Corigliano.



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