| Caulonia | ||
 | ||
| State | Italy | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Calabria | |
| Territory | Coast of the Jasmines | |
| Altitude | 298 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 101.76 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 7.026 (2012) | |
| Name inhabitants | Caulonian | |
| Prefix tel | 39 0964 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 89041 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
| Patron | Sant'Ilarione Abate | |
Position
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| Institutional website | ||
Caulonia is a city of Calabria.
To know
Geographical notes
Situated on a height of 300 meters, the territory of the municipality starts from the sea, passing through hilly areas, until it reaches the mountains of the Serre; it is the third largest municipality in the metropolitan city of Reggio Calabria after it Reggio Calabria is San Luca. On the Serre it reaches a maximum height of 1241 meters and here we find a flora rich in holm oaks, chestnuts, firs and pines. Degrading towards the hill we find the typical Mediterranean scrub, while on the coast the clayey soil is on one side and with citrus groves on the other. The territory is crossed by the rivers Allaro, Amusa and Precariti. The Allaro is located on the left of Caulonia while the Amusa on the right, while the Precariti forms the border with the municipality of Placanica and on the coast with Stignano.
The hamlet of San Nicola, 5.39 km from the city center and bordering the hamlets of Pezzolo and Ficara, is located on the right side of the Allaro river. At the height of San Nicola, a bridle has been placed in the stream which is commonly called "San Nicola Waterfalls". Since the 2000s the area has become a small river and excursion tourist destination.
When to go
The ideal time to visit the city is in summer, especially August, due to the greater presence of events and the possibility of practicing seaside tourism.
Background
A poetic transposition of the history of Caulonia is found in Licofrone, which passes on the name of Caulone, son of the Amazon Cleta; she, according to Cassandra's prophecy, would have landed in Italy at the time of the Trojan war to become queen of the city she founded, Cleto.
Castelvetere, name of the ancient Caulonia, seems to be either of Byzantine or late Roman origins. The oldest document that mentions Castelvetere is from 1087 and is in a news report concerning Ariberto Asciutti and in 1150 where Pope Eugene III stated that in the jurisdiction of the Monastery of ss. Trinità and San Michele di Mileto were part of the three churches of Castelvetere: San Nicola, San Giovanni and Santa Maria.
Starting from the end of the 15th century, the noble Carafa family took possession of the territory of Caulonia.
In 1863, two years after the birth of the kingdom of Italy, the municipality of Castelvetere changed its name to Caulonia in honor of the ancient Kaulon because it was erroneously estimated that the ancient Achaean colony stood between the Amusa and Allaro rivers. Only a few decades later the archaeologist Paolo Orsi found the exact location of the ancient Kaulon at Punta Stilo, in the municipality of Monasterace, in fact denying the previous location.
Between 1951 and 1953 Caulonia, like other towns in Calabria, suffered the phenomenon of flooding of the river courses adjacent to the towns, in his case the Allaro. The disaster caused by the flood gave birth to Caulonia marina, effectively moving part of the population to the new inhabited center.
In 1972 Caulonia once again suffered the flooding of the Allaro.
How to orient yourself
Caulonia: full screen map.How to get
By plane
The nearest airport is that of Lamezia Terme, while the one in Reggio Calabria is more difficult to reach; once you arrive by plane you will have to continue by other means.
On the train
- RFI station, Via Nazionale. Station served by regional Trenitalia lines for Catanzaro Lido and Reggio Calabria, in addition to an Intercity for Taranto, currently limited to Catanzaro Lido for works on the northern part of the Ionian line.
Those who use long-distance lines will have to arrive at Reggio Calabria or Lamezia Terme (in the first case you have to get to Reggio di Calabria Centrale and continue with a regional one that will lead directly to the Caulonia station, in the second from Lamezia Terme Centrale you have to take a regional train to Catanzaro Lido and from there change to another one that stops in Caulonia) .
How to get around
What see
The center is a hilltop village, formed by an intertwining of numerous very narrow and particularly steep alleys called vinedi. It stands on a real hilltop, which makes the city similar to a stronghold, and which surrounds it with cliffs, called timpi. Piazza Mese, Piazza Seggio and Piazza Baglio, were in the past, respectively, the religious, political and commercial center of the town.
Among the numerous churches present in the municipal area, the church of the Immaculate Conception, known as the church of the Carmine and seat of the national monument Christ to the column obtained from a single piece of wild olive, the church of the Santissimo Rosario, once the site of a convent and subsequently of a prison, and the mother church, located on the highest point of the village, in the most important square, Piazza Mese. There is also the presence of a Byzantine fresco and one of the oldest hanging tanks in Italy.
Hermitage of Sant'Ilarione (Fraction of San Nicola, near the Allaro river).
Events and parties
The religious celebrations for the Holy Week of Easter (including the Holy Saturday procession, called Caracolo) preserve the legacy of a typically southern religious tradition, dotted with rituals of ostentatious devotion, daughter of a time and a world that have out of stock.
Other events: the summer sporting event of the Italian champion team of martial arts and kickjitsu, the Horse Academy which is in fact from Caulonia. The town has in fact a tradition in the specific sector and has given birth to various champions.
- Caulonian Holy Week.
- Kaulonia Tarantella Festival.
August. Music festival largely focused on Calabrian folk, it consists of several evenings during which there are various musical performances. - Feast of Our Lady of Crochi.
- Feast of S. Ilarione abate.
August. Music festival largely focused on Calabrian folk, it consists of several evenings during which there are various musical performances.What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Where stay
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
Cities to keep an eye on are nearby Gerace, Siderno, Locri is Soverato.
