The golden fields
Sila is wilderness, an uncontaminated and wild place. But it is also countryside, land shaped by human labour in perfect harmony with the laws of nature and the rhythms of the seasons. To fully savour this agricultural and bucolic dimension, here is a “widespread itinerary” that crosses the plateau and links Sila to the Cosenza and Crotone coasts.
It is an itinerary that runs through places to lead us to an encounter with flavours, with those products that make up Sila’s food and wine excellence. The ancient grains, rediscovered and enhanced by many farms in the area, the mushrooms, chestnuts and delicious berries that generously cover the vast forests. Then the exquisite cheeses such as the Caciocavallo Silano with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Not to be missed are also the cured meats made from Calabrian black pigs, bred strictly in the wild. Finally, the Sila potato with Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), with its unmistakable flavour.
Map
Technical specifications of the route
8
Locations touched
128
Total kilometres
22
Points of interest
Discover the values of the territory
Genuine flavours
The Sila area is a hotbed of tasty and unique products and dishes. The Sila potato, the Sila caciocavallo and the Calabrian black suede are just the best-known pearls of an extraordinary basket of aromas and flavours.
History on a plate
Savoring the typical products and dishes of Sila is like taking a real journey through time, which, through flavours, leads us to learn about the history and traditions of the area.
Authentic hospitality
The stay in the Sila farmhouses and the visit to the educational farms is an opportunity to immerse yourself in an oasis of peace and experience the harmony and alliance that the people of the plateau have been able to create with the territory.
From the Great North to the Mediterranean
Crossing the Sila starting from San Giovanni in Fiore to reach Rende is an adventure which, in just a few kilometres, takes us through an extraordinary variety of environments, landscapes and climatic zones.
ITINERARY 3
Description of the itinerary and stages
The stages
From San Giovanni in Fiore to San Nicola Silano
The itinerary in search of the golden fields is a breathtaking experience in a lost paradise. A route in which it is not the visual sensations and magnificent places that guide us, but the scents and flavours of the land of Sila.
We start in San Giovanni in Fiore, the fascinating spiritual capital of Sila, which we talked about so much in the itinerary “In between history, traditions and legends.”
To that travel proposal we entrust the task of recounting the many architectural beauties and elements of cultural interest to be found in the village. So let us imagine ourselves as travellers already experienced and in love with the place, wanting to take home a souvenir, a talisman capable of fixing and renewing in memory the experience lived in this whirlwind town built on rock. Here is our succulent souvenir: it is the pitta ‘mpigliata.
More than any geographic map, in fact, this wedding cake – typical of San Giovanni since the beginning of the 18th century – represents the epitome of the flavours, smells, traditions and values of the Sila and its inhabitants, capable on its own of recounting centuries of Calabrian roots in Sila: Verna wheat, sugar, cinnamon, fruit, liqueur, nuts, honey, extra virgin olive oil, raisins, orange blossom. All these and other elements are enclosed in the pitta, derived from the Arabic word for “crushed”, a kind of round cake that is shaped and closed in a spiral, as if the confectioner who invented it wanted to make a gastronomic reproduction of the topography of the town that gave it birth, also “coiled” in a spiral on the Presila hills on the Ionian slope. In order to protect and promote this indigenous dessert, the Accademia della pitta ‘mpigliata (Pitta ‘mpigliata Academy) was created, with the aim of obtaining European recognition so that the pitta ‘mpigliata can be traced back to the local tradition and identity.
Just a few kilometres out of San Giovanni in Fiore and up towards the plateau along the SS 107 highway, the urban landscape immediately becomes a distant memory. The dwellings become sporadic and the dominant feature is once again the tree, which in Sila, rather than beech or birch, is mainly larch pine.
The general atmosphere reminiscent of the Great North is alienating: the larch pine grows thickly and neatly to the right and left of the tourist along the road. Proceeding along the plain, you have to wait until you reach the Montagnagrande locality to find a glimpse of a typically Italian landscape: amidst the curves shaped by the natural tortuosity of the terrain, cherry trees with immaculate foliage in late spring reveal green patches of irregularly shaped meadows. It is not uncommon to spot specimens of wildlife or flocks of sheep and cows: animals feel at home here.
Continuing the journey, the pine trees remain in the background, encircling the well-kept landscape of the fields in which one is immersed with a picture-perfect arrangement. Because now it is the countryside, the prairie with its farms, that takes centre stage.
We are also close to the area of the Ariamacina reservoir, not far from the area known as Piana di Carlomagno. In summer, it is easy to meet the herds of Podolica cows, recognisable by their long and characteristic horns, which, from the low valleys, climb up to these places where the grass thrives and the climate is not as sultry as on the Ionian coast.
It is a prized breed, inextricably linked to the land, with important nutritional characteristics and a very special charm: this animal, grazing in the open, feeds only and exclusively on wild grasses and shrubs that make the meat – and especially the milk – of very high quality.
The ritual of transhumance is still repeated today, as it has been for thousands of years, and the taste of the milk used to make the PDO Caciocavallo Silano is proof of this: a spun-paste cheese famous and appreciated for its organoleptic properties and its strong yet delicate flavour. The oldest documents attesting to its production, which for centuries remained tied to the Calabrian landowners and was mainly destined for export, date back to the 16th century. Raw milk, rennet, heat and rustic pasture: that’s all you need to make Caciocavallo Silano.
This is the right place, therefore, to stop and enjoy what the locals call a “breakfast”: rustic bread, Calabrian pork ham and caciocavallo cheese, perhaps in the old wagons that can still be found in San Nicola Silano, a small village once a stop on the railway line that crossed the plateau, now transformed into a refreshment point where you can enjoy breakfast or lunch directly “on-board a wagon.”
Every bite tells the story of this rural world, which seems to be one of the last examples of the most authentic Italy. Here, contact with the land is not a slogan to attract tourists: one of the main threads of the Sila experience is pure water, which gushes out between the granites and which, leap after leap, is enriched with precious mineral particles capable of giving even bread a flavour and authenticity that is not artificial.
Passing through San Nicola is also an opportunity to enjoy a total immersion in the Sila countryside. The beautiful Ariamacina path starts from the old station and, in just less than an hour, leads to the shores of a small lake, a veritable temple of biodiversity where, in addition to meeting herds of Podolica cows placidly grazing, one can observe numerous species of birds, which stop here during their migrations.
Cycling enthusiasts, on the other hand, can enjoy an easy loop through the Serra Carlomagno countryside.
From San Nicola to the hamlet of Moccone
Continuing the journey along the SP 211 provincial highway, the plateau opens up in all its beauty: although it is on a total plain, the environment is mountainous. Then, the plateau becomes grassland, the grassland rises to become a hill, the green and shiny hill becomes bare and becomes steep rock, the rock changes to a village, a clinging town, which in turn gives way to expanses of flowers and then to cultivated fields, obedient to the iron rules of agriculture. Among the conifers, among the bushes and the oldest wild architecture, the rural environment emerges: the farm in the classic sense becomes the protagonist of the landscape, with the primary sector farmsteads following one another.
When the French imposed the cultivation of the potato throughout Europe, following the wishes of the well-known French agronomist and nutritionist Antoine Parmentier, Calabria, as a transalpine possession, became one of the ideal places in which to grow the tuber. This led to deforestation and the end of a world: historically, in fact, the Calabrians were divided into ‘tree people’ and ‘wheat people’, depending on the crops they were mainly dedicated to, and it is easy to guess that Sila, with its endless forests, was a land of trees. But with the cultivation of the potato, things changed. There is evidence as far back as 1811, in a deed of the Kingdom of Naples, of the existence of its own cultivation in Sila. Since then, right up to the PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) a few years ago, the Sila potato has grown to become a symbol of this land, an icon of the hard work and dedication of a people who, through sheer force of will, have managed to obtain a unique product, characterised by a high starch content that makes its taste persistent and distinctive.
Alongside this traditional production, the Sila countryside has also seen, in recent years, an increase in the production of berries such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, currants and gooseberries. The valorisation of these wild fruits of the mountain areas (at altitudes between 600 and 1,000 metres), which are increasingly sought after and appreciated by consumers for their beneficial qualities for human health, represents an important economic resource for the area, as it makes it possible to bring in income from land that was once marginal and unused, where these products thrive and find their ideal environment.
Moreover, the Calabrian mountainous areas, and those of Sila in particular, boast the historical presence of ancient varieties of wheat, now increasingly sought after as a source of a healthy and correct diet and a valuable resource for local trade based on small-scale, top-quality production. In fact, more and more local companies are dedicated to the production and processing of stone-ground flours to be used in bread-making: whole-wheat flours from “Jermano” wheat, rich in fibre and gluten, Verna and Senatore Cappelli wheat flour with little gluten, all rich in mineral salts and vitamins. A process that preserves the smells, colours and flavours of the past, as well as the quality, taste and well-being of the earth’s genuine fruits.
Once passed Croce di Magara, and leaving behind the Giants of Sila reserve, travelling along the highway that continues up to Camigliatello Silano, it becomes increasingly clear how in this area the man-nature bond is a marriage in which the interests and needs of modernity can be set aside and sustainability becomes the key to a shared life. The dogmas of Mother Earth are the commandments to which the two worlds, apparently so distant from each other, adhere, aware that the balance of this ecosystem is given by the punctual and constant work of both, and that the needs of man must always be matched by the will of Nature, with its laws, its needs, its out-of-time rhythms as well as its logic of space with its exploitation, millennia away from that which dominates global contemporaneity.
At the heart of the earth, towards the hills of Acri
Arriving at the hamlet of Moccone, the tourist is faced with an arduous choice: continue the visit to the agricultural heart of the plateau, following the SP 247 provincial highway and the country lanes that lead to Lagarò Lupinacci and from there to Acri, or take the winding hairpin bends of the old Strada del Cannavino, which leads down to the Presila villages, where the environment and landscape are so different, but always authentic and representative of this corner of Calabria.
No one can help you solve the dilemma: along the Golden Fields Route, decisions must be made “with your gut”, listening to the intuitions and moods of the moment. If one were to decide to continue to Lagaró, one would soon find oneself immersed in cultivated countryside dotted with the buildings of local farms. Encircling are the fields where the Sila potato is cultivated and where the plump specimens of one of the most famous protagonists (in spite of itself) of local gastronomy often roam free: the black pig of Calabria. Today, the breeding of this species is back in vogue, but in the 1970s the breed even risked disappearing. If one looks only at quantity, in fact, the black pig of Calabria cannot compete with its “pink cousins”: the litters are fewer, the pups smaller at birth, the growth times longer and the average tonnage reached by the adults much smaller. But, as is often the case, quantity runs counter to quality and, as far as the latter is concerned, the black pig is unrivalled: its meat is perfect for producing cured meats with a strong and unforgettable taste, and its resistance to disease and adverse climates make it ideal for rearing in the wild and semi-wild in places such as Sila, where there is no shortage of wide-open spaces.
The landscape you pass through is made up of cheese dairies, country houses and farms, which follow one another and tempt the traveller with signs along the road inviting you to stop. Many typical products and dishes can be tasted: cow and sheep and goat cheeses, honey, oil, preserves, potatoes, cured meats, chestnuts. And mushrooms, which are a religion here in Sila: more than three thousand species, a veritable mycological “pantheon”, where each deity has its own name and its own peculiarity: from black porcini to “rossini”, passing through “vavusi”, “mazze di tamburo” (parasol mushrooms) and “gallinacci” (chanterelle mushrooms).
In order to truly understand this reality, it is necessary to touch, wear the clothes and experience the rhythms of those who work with fatigue and passion to cultivate the gold of the fields. This is something that can really be experienced here, taking advantage of the agritourism hospitality and educational farm activities, with guided tours and real excursions on foot, by bicycle or on horseback among the fields and woods.
An exemplary proof of this special hospitality is the traditional initiative “Fattorie aperte in Sila” (Open Farms in Sila), which every year brings tourists into close contact with the life of dozens of local farms.
From Lagarò, our journey continues along the SP 206 provincial highway in a north-westerly direction, passing through the hamlets scattered along the road to Acri: Piano d’Arnice, Contrada Pastamolla, Contrada Ferrante and others. The roads become narrow and the journey adventurous. The fields give way to the ruggedness of the barren hillside, to the buttresses shaped by the wind and millennia. The valley becomes a corridor. This will be the last propitiatory passage into the belly of Sila before reaching the three hills where the houses of Acri stand, another pearl of culture and tradition, with its religious architecture, its noble palaces and its many precious craft workshops.
Towards Rende and the Presila hamlets
Taking a step back in time and space, we return to the hamlet of Moccone, the place where the Golden Fields Route forks. Instead of choosing the countryside, the journey through the flavours of the Sila region can also take another direction: you can decide to cross the Monte Scuro pass and descend from the plateau along the winding and scenic route of the historic Strada del Cannavino. You soon lose altitude and the landscape changes considerably. Along these ridges, exposed like a natural balcony over the Crati valley and Cosenza, the Sila air mixes with Mediterranean scents. We are not so far from the larch pine forests, but the climate is already milder and allows us to enjoy one last jewel of the local food and wine heritage: the wine produced from the Magliocco vine, an ancient Calabrian variety that boasts one of its strongholds in Spezzano della Sila. A few cultivated hectares on the outskirts of the town, from which comes a red wine that will give the palate of the weary and thirsty traveller great satisfaction, evoking with every sip the scents, colours and memories of the Sila land just crossed.
But the Presila area is renowned for another culinary speciality: the coccìa or cuccìa, a typical dish prepared during the patron saint’s festivities, based on boiled wheat with goat and pork meat, subsequently baked in a wood-burning oven in the traditional tinielli (small vats).
Moving on to the municipality of Rovito, in the locality of Travale, we come across another ancient wine-growing culture, the one that gives rise to the Nerello wine: a noble and rich wine, forgotten until a few years ago, but whose unmistakable flavour, the result of a natural and entirely artisanal process, has been revived by a local winery. Also worth admiring are the vines in the municipality of Lappano where, from the grapes of Magliocco, Gaglioppo and Greco Nero, excellent and refined red wines are produced.
Let the non-drinkers not despair! The Silan hospitality also has a thirst-quenching delicacy in store for them. The Presila villages are the home of the coffee gazzosa, a typical drink, also called SilaDrink, Moka Drink and brasilena, from the name of the most famous company that produced it in the middle of the last century. Since then, the coffee gazzosa has enjoyed great success throughout southern Italy, from Apulia to Campania, while retaining strong ties with its territory of origin and its inhabitants, who, to this day, are still its most important consumers.
From the villages of the Presilan strip, the most direct route down to the final leg of our journey is surely that of the smooth highway that points quickly towards the Crati valley. But we have learned by now: speed is not the best skill for the tourist who wants to savour the authentic spirit of this territory. It is better to continue along the winding bends of the SP 232 provincial highway to enjoy the encounter with other unforgettable views, endless glimpses of daily life among the hamlets and rural dwellings, and witness yet another extraordinary metamorphosis of the territory. Descending in altitude, the pine has given way to the vine, which is now flanked by olive trees.
Kilometre after kilometre, the mountainous universe of Sila becomes a distant memory. We are now in a Calabria that smells of sun and sea, and the green of the olive trees is there, bearing witness to this Mediterranean essence.
Just as in the Sila mountains, here too the farmers, with proverbial wisdom and patience, extract their green gold from the earth… Extra virgin olive oil is one of the most precious products of their labours, processed today with state-of-the-art techniques and equipment, but respecting age-old traditions that enhance its flavour and organoleptic qualities. An excellence so appreciated that it has reached beyond the borders of the earth… Indeed, a Rende producer was entrusted with the task of supplying the oil samples that astronauts took to the International Space Station in order to observe the changes caused by gravity and cosmic rays.
Other metamorphoses await us. Having reached the valley floor and crossed the course of the Crati river, the cultivated countryside also disappears, to make way for contemporary urbanity. We are in the modern district of Rende, an almost seamless continuation of the Cosenza hinterland.
Where is the plateau’s immense vegetable kingdom? Here is a drop of it, a pearl, jealously guarded and studied: it is the Botanical Garden of the University of Calabria, which is located in the municipality of Rende and is definitely a stop that cannot be missed along our itinerary.
Finally, the road climbs again, the trees and fields are once again protagonists of the landscape and accompany us towards the top of the hill where the houses, churches and buildings of Rende’s old town are rooted. There is no mistake: this is no Sila village. Scents, colours and atmospheres are different: they wink at the coast rather than the mountains. Yet all you have to do is look eastwards. The heights of Presila and the ramparts of the plateau are there to remind us that we have not been dreaming: that ancient world, never quite domesticated, yet inhabited and understood by men who have learnt to live in harmony with the seasons and the rhythms of nature, is there and awaits us for new, adventurous and tasty journeys…
All points of interest
1) Departure – From San Giovanni in Fiore to San Nicola Silano
San Giovanni in Fiore is the largest municipality in Sila. It has about 18,000 inhabitants and is located in close proximity to the Alta Val di Neto and the mountainous district of Montenero. It enjoys a beautiful record; in fact, it is the most populated Italian municipality above 1,000 meters above sea level. Its town is linked to the figure of Abbot Joachim of Fiore, a 12th-13th century
exegete monk, who founded the monastery of San Giovanni in Fiore right there, bringing in many people from neighboring places. The majestic Florense Abbey, one of the architectural jewels of the area, is dedicated to him. In memory of the religious figure, the International Center for Gioachimite Studies, an entity recognized by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, was founded here, studying and working to collect all the abbot’s writings. San Giovanni in Fiore is also linked to the historical figures of the Bandiera Brothers, Italian patriots who were captured, in 1844, in its vicinity. The municipality currently houses the administrative headquarters of the Sila
National Park, located at the hamlet of Lorica, which belongs to the Silana Mountain Community.
Info and contacts:
www.lacapitaledellasila.it
The pitta’mpigliata is the most famous Silan dessert; it is linked to the Christmas tradition but is also prepared as a good omen for entering a new home. In the rest of the province of Cosenza, on the other hand, it is a typical wedding cake. The preparation is elaborate: the pastry is created with flour, water, oil, honey, sugar, cloves, cinnamon, tangerine juice, white wine, lemon and orange peels and liqueur or paisanella (local grappa), while inside is placed a filling of walnuts, raisins, sugar, and cloves. The cake can take different shapes, and the ingredients can also be used in different proportions. The name is derived from the Arabic word for “crushed”.
Another typical Silan Christmas dessert is turdilli, made in the shape of a dumpling and made with a dough of flour, eggs, cinnamon, sugar and oil. Fried and caramelized, they are also garnished with aromatic, orange or chestnut honey. White wine or vin cotto is also added to the dough.
Mostaccioli are typical sweets from Calabria, and even more so from Sila, made of flour, almonds, honey, anise liqueur and egg yolk. They are often eaten at Christmas, but sometimes on other holidays, such as Father’s Day. Very tasty and nutritious, they are perfect for dipping in milk.
Lake Ariamacina or Alto Neto is a small reservoir built for hydroelectric purposes in 1953-55. It is located at an elevation of 1311, and is connected by conduit with the waters of the much larger Lake Cecita. The dam is 1,170 meters long, and contains a reservoir of about 4 million cubic meters
of water. The body of water is fed by the Neto River, which flows from the slopes of Mount Botte Donato through the Valle dell'Inferno and which, after feeding the small lake, continues its course until it reaches the Arvo and joins the other tributaries heading to the Ionian Sea. Like the other
artificial reservoirs in Sila, Lake Ariamacina has adapted to its surroundings so that it looks like a natural body of water. Located on the western slopes of Mount Volpintesta, it is an enchanted place, surrounded by the dense forests of beech, fir and larch pine and the extensive high-altitude grasslands. Despite its limited size, the lake is home each year to various representatives of migratory species that temporarily stop or even nest here. Among these should not be forgotten the great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus), famous for its romantic courtship dance, in which pairs of birds seem to literally walk on the surface of the water, which has here one of the rare nesting sites in Italy.
Arrived in our country from the Asian East, this variety of cattle has among its main characteristics a great adaptability to particularly hostile environments, which makes it suitable for the particular Silan climate and its averagely arid environments: in fact, it can feed on stubble, scrub and bushes.
In addition, the animal requires very little care from humans. Although originally a working breed and secondarily a dairy breed, the podolica is able to provide farmers with good quality meat. It produces large quantities of milk, from which excellent cheeses are made, especially the typical caciocavallo silano.
Near Lake Ariamacina, hikers can take a trail about two hours long that retraces a small part of the, ancient transhumance route, through which the large herds, which had spent the summer period on the heights of Sila, would descend to lower altitudes at the end of the summer, toward the “marina” that is, the lowland areas of the Crotone area, through the Neto River valley to Germano and from there, along the Lese valley, to the Ionian coast.
Among the most renowned pasta filata cheeses produced in the south and more generally throughout Italy, Caciocavallo Silano was awarded the prestigious D.O.P. (Protected Designation of Origin) mark in 1996, a symbol of community protection that guarantees its genuineness and wholesomeness. Together with the PDO mark, Caciocavallo Silano is protected by a Protection
Consortium, which defines its quality standards through a production process linked to well-defined stages. The cheese has an ancient history: documents attesting to its production and export date as far back as the 16th century. Caciocavallo is rich in vitamins, proteins and minerals, and has high nutritional qualities. About ten liters of high-quality cow's milk are needed to produce one kilogram of this cheese. Its production area is linked not only to the Silan massif, but to much of the highlands of the southern Apennines. The weight of the typical wheel can vary between 1 and 2.5
kilos and must have a smooth straw-yellow rind. According to tradition, moreover, its paste must be firm and perfectly homogeneous, and the flavor must be delicate and tend to be mild for young cheese, or slightly piquant for mature cheese.
Giuncata, or juncata calabra, is a fresh cheese produced year-round from cow’s milk of mixed breeds, particularly on the Sila plateau. It is oval in shape, ranging in weight from 200 to 400 grams, while the paste is firm with a sweet sour flavor. It is a much sought-after product during the holiday season. Since it is a fresh cheese and therefore not aged, in the past the leftover wheels were ripened and used later as a condiment to avoid waste.
Butirro, frequently associated with juncata, is a pasta filata cheese, produced particularly on the Sila Plateau and in the areas of Mount Pollino, also known locally by the names “burrino”, “piticelle” and “manteca”made from the milk of annicchiariche cows. It is pear-shaped, with a neck tightened by a rope for hanging, weighs between 100 and 300 grams, and has the classic appearance of caciocavallo, composed of the same type of pasta filata, but with a ball of butter inside! The flavor is very strong and distinctive. Butirro originated in the regions of Calabria and Puglia and was born from the past need to preserve butter as long as possible, preserving its taste and aroma.
See trail description inserted in the itinerary folder
See trail description inserted in the itinerary folder
2) From San Nicola to the hamlet of Moccone
After being part of the traditional agri-food products of Calabria, the Patata della Sila has been recognized as a PGI product and is now listed as a mountain product. Its history is ancient: an act of the Kingdom of Naples in 1811 attests to its cultivation in the Sila lands. Because of the particularly
cold climate, this particular variety, grown exclusively at high altitudes, contains a higher than average percentage of starch, making it therefore more nutritious and flavorful than traditional potatoes grown at low altitudes. For the same reasons, it has a thicker skin than normal tubers, making it more resistant to bacterial attack, and it requires longer cooking times.
The nature reserve is famous for preserving within it the famous Giants of Sila, which are fifty-six monumental specimens of larch pine over five hundred years old, up to 45 meters tall and over two meters in diameter at the base. Within the reserve are other younger specimens of larch pine, as well
as various wild apple, beech, chestnut, quaking aspen, and sycamore maple trees. These plants represent the last remnant of the older Sila forests, which originally populated the entire plateau and were gradually cut down in the period following the Unification of Italy for industrial needs, and later after World War II to repay the American and British allies in timber. The name Fallistro means “dark, hollowed-out place”. A silk spinning mill operated on the site until 1910.
Info and contacts:
FAI – Fund for the Italian Environment – www.fondoambiente.it/luoghi/i-giganti-della-sila
Sila National Park – www.parcosila.it
Camigliatello is one of the centers of the Sila Grande with the greatest vocation for tourism. Themname derives from the Scamigliati, religious men who, under their habit, did not wear shirts. Characterized by a built-up area composed of beautiful buildings of mountain architecture surrounded by lush larch pine forests, the entire town center falls within the Sila National Park, and is characterized by its typical breathtaking mountain views. Camigliatello is also a popular destination for winter sports enthusiasts, with slopes dedicated to alpine and cross-country skiing and the modern Mount Curcio gondola. In summer, too, there are a variety of opportunities for outdoor activities for hikers, thanks to a dense network of trekking trails of varying difficulty, and long routes that can be traveled by mountain bike. Other points of interest in the area include the archaeological areas at the hollows later used to create the artificial lakes: remains of Neanderthal Man settlements and Neolithic fishing and farming villages have been found in them, as well as
evidence from Greek and Roman times.
Info and contacts:
Camigliatello Tourism – www.camigliatelloturismo.it
3) At the heart of the earth, towards the hills of Acri
It is an artery rich in history and importance: until 1829, in fact, when the SS107 was built, it was the main link between Cosenza and the towns of the Presilan belt. Going up the east coast of Cannavino one can see an almost endless series of rural agglomerations that tells, with the visual force of the views, how the relationship that the Silanians have with the primitive peasant world is
still very strong.
The black pig of Calabria, an indigenous breed saved from extinction, thanks to a careful recovery plan carried out by some local companies, because of its special organoleptic peculiarities makes it possible to obtain high quality rustic cured meats, suitable for enhancing typical dishes. Typical morphological characteristics of the variety include limited size of the newborn piglets, the classic black coat with bristly bristles of the adult animal, a weight of the adult males of about one and a half quintals. Other outstanding features include high maternal aptitude, strong sexual vigor of the male, and adaptability to grazing.
Sausage is the most famous and renowned Calabrian cured meat. Present in numerous variations, it can be flavored with herbs, fennel seeds and various spices such as black pepper, sweet or hot red pepper. It is derived from the processing of pork shoulder and underbelly meat processed at internal
temperatures between 0° and 3° C, stuffed into natural guts, perforated and twisted into the characteristic chain or horseshoe shapes, before being placed in seasoning for a period of at least 30 days. Soppressata di Calabria PDO is also counted among the most valuable typical cured meats thanks to the use of superfine meats and very careful processing. The original mixture is made from the meat of ham, tenderloin or shoulder, with the addition of well-chosen fat from the lard from the front of the loin. Carefully selected and then minced, it is later flavored with black peppercorns or sweet or hot red pepper, and then stuffed into natural pork intestines. The soppressata is then pierced and hand-tied with natural twine, and given that distinctive flattened shape from which it
derives its name. The subsequent curing period is at least 45 days.
Capocollo is one of the Calabrian cured meats that require the most complex and elaborate processing: from the meat of the upper loin of the pigs, appropriately boned and salted with ground table salt, dry or in brine, a cut is obtained that must have an outer layer of fat 3-4 mm thick, necessary to keep the sausage soft during the curing period and improve its organoleptic
characteristics. The salting phase, which lasts from 4 to 8 days, is followed by washing with water and wine vinegar, pressing and the addition of black peppercorns. This is then stuffed and tied with string, and placed in curing for at least 100 days after salting. Differently, created from the lower undercoat of pork, Pancetta di Calabria DOP is cut into a rectangular shape and salted for a period varying from 4 to 11 days, then washed and soaked in wine vinegar and cured thereafter for at least 30 days. In a typical variation of it, the outside is covered with chili powder.
Sila chestnuts, round on one side and flat on the other, have a dry and flavorful flesh, a rather light coloring and are covered with a red-brown film and a tough brown skin. There are three varieties: the reggiola, a little larger than the other two and characterized by ease of peeling: its inner peel, in fact, is easily removed along with the outer peel. The second variety is called “nzerta, in which the inner peel is more difficult to remove. Lastly is curcia, which is particularly wild, in which the inner peel can be removed only after boiling. In the past, chestnuts were the main source of nourishment for Apennine populations during the cold months. Those that could not be eaten fresh were preserved and later smoked, then placed on a slatted floor under the ceiling of the casedde, typical stone and mud constructions. Once dried, they were placed in sacks and beaten against a tree stem or stone to remove the skins. At the end of this process, some chestnuts that had become particularly soft took the name turduni, and were used to make special dishes.
In the Silan forests can be found, several edible mycetes, including porcino, rosito, gallinaccio, ovolo, prataiolo and many other species of gastronomic value. Their availability depends strictly on the rainfall in the area, and is highest in the autumn period. In particularly lucky years it is possible
to return with a full basket even in spring or summer outings, with the understanding that many millimeters of rain are needed to allow abundant fruiting bodies to appear in the plateau’s undergrowth. Often, therefore, Sila turns into one of the most prolific territories in all of Italy when it comes to mushrooms!
The town of Acre, is located at an altitude of 700 meters within a valley that consists of no less than twenty thousand hectares of land. Its peculiarity? It is spread over three hills, also prominently displayed on the heraldic coat of arms. One of the hills is Padìa, the ancient village, where the civic tower known as Rocca dei Bruzi stands out, while the other two summits are represented by Picitti (Greek quarter) and Odivella. In addition to the many religious buildings, frequently linked to the figure of St. Angelo of Acre, we recommend visiting, for architectural merit, both the Castle of Acre and the many noble palaces in the area.
Info and contacts:
City of Acre – www.comune.acri.cs.it
4) Towards Rende and the Presila hamlets
Magliocco is an ancient Calabrian grape variety cultivated mainly in the provinces of Cosenza and Catanzaro, rediscovered and brought back to life by the Librandi company, which has been working since 1988 to recover some ancient local varieties. The first red wine made entirely from this type of grape was produced in 1995, is fermented in barriques, and has good aging potential. Magliocco presents a ruby color, has a fresh and clean smell on the nose, with aromas of ripe plums, autumn leaves and leather. Notes of berries and plums can be perceived on the palate. Grapes from this varietal are sometimes used to add body and structure to other wines. The return of Silan wineries to heroic viticulture has also recently allowed the rediscovery of other valuable local varieties, such as Nerello, Gaglioppo and Greco Nero.
In Arcavacata, near Rende, you can visit the Botanical Garden of the University of Calabria.
It is a true outdoor nature laboratory where you can discover, know and learn to love more than 400 wild species of Calabrian flora.
The Garden, which is about 8 hectares in size, includes poplar and oak forests as well as offering space for dedicated cultivation of wheat, olive trees and other agricultural products. In addition to live plant collections, visitors can consult a herbarium with more than 24,000 plant specimens as well as a considerable collection of lichens, mosses and fungi. University activity aims at research in the field of biosystematics and geobotany, aiming at nature conservation, with special attention to native vegetation. Thanks to the knowledge and expertise developed over the years, the facility is able to offer a qualified environmental outreach and education service for the local population and tourists. Especially, outreach is carried out through the collections of endangered plants found within the Garden.
Info and contacts:
University of Calabria – www.unical.it/campus/vivere-il-campus/sistema-museale/musnob/orto-botanico
Rende is a town full of wonders. It is located in the vicinity of Cosenza and has a medieval flavor all its own. It was built in antiquity on top of a hill in Norman times. Founded in 1095 as a stronghold by order of Bohemond of Altavilla it underwent great transformations over time due to various dominations, including Bourbon and French. To the latter it owes its name: Renne, in fact,
means kingdom in Old French! The variety of cultures, as well as the customs and traditions that have passed through it have contributed to its becoming an important university town since 1970.
The flourishing of arts and crafts within it, especially between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, made it in effect, the city of museums. Famous artists, such as Giorgio de Chirico and Mattia Preti, in fact, still grace it with their works today. Its wonders are many, but especially four catalyze the attention of every visitor. These are the Norman castle, the many museums, Rossini
Park where the city hall is located, and Robinson Park. Added to these attractions are the many churches and the botanical garden of the University of Calabria.
Info and contacts:
Municipality of Rende – www.comune.rende.cs.it
Cuccìa or coccia (from the Greek koukkìa), is a typical dish of the Cosenza province, made with boiled wheat, goat and pork meat. It is traditionally prepared in the municipalities of the Cosenza area on the occasion of patron saint festivals in August-September.
Preparation of the dish takes about three days and goes through several stages: cleaning the wheat, steeping it, boiling it, and cooking it in the traditional wood-fired oven.
A traditional terracotta container called Tinìellu is used for the preparation. The first references to this ancient tradition were written by Vincenzo Padula, a poet-priest from Acri. Cuccìa is included in the production specifications drawn up by the Gal with the Terre di Calabria project.
