| Praia a Mare | ||
 | ||
| State | Italy | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Calabria | |
| Territory | Riviera of the Cedars | |
| Altitude | 5 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 23.59 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 6.708 (2016) | |
| Name inhabitants | Praiesi | |
| Prefix tel | 39 0985 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 87028 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
| Patron | Madonna of the Grotto (August 15) | |
Position
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| Institutional website | ||
Praia a Mare is a center of the Calabria.
To know
Geographical notes
It overlooks the Calabrian coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, a short distance from the short Tyrrhenian stretch of the Basilicata.
Background
It originally arose as a small but populous village of fishermen and farmers on the narrow beaches between the river Noce (which to the north marks the border with the Basilicata) and the rocky buttress beyond the alluvial plain of the river Lao. Praia a Mare has been for centuries the marine fraction of the nearby municipality of Aieta.
The etymology of the name is uncertain: the locality has taken on various denominations over time. It would derive from Plaga Sclavorum, i.e. Spiaggia degli Schiavoni, in memory of the trafficking of goods and men that characterized the Tyrrhenian coast in ancient times, or from Plaga Slavorum, namely Spiaggia degli Slavoni, due to the local presence of a colony of Slavs. Plaga in turn derives from the Greek πλαγιά, plagia, meaning beach. In more recent times it takes the name of Praia d'Aieta (which literally means Beach of Aieta). The marine fraction of the nearby mountain municipality became administratively autonomous in 1928, assuming the definitive name of Praia a Mare.
Between the sixties and nineties the town experienced a notable development, thanks to the investments of the Marzotto group and the Agnelli family.
Today Praia a Mare, which also includes the Island of Dino, lives mainly on tourism.
How to orient yourself
Praia a Mare: full screen map.Neighborhoods
Its municipal territory also includes the villages of Colcinello, Foresta, Fortino, Fiuzzi, Laccata, Mantinera, Santo Stefano, Saracinello, Viscigliosa, Zaparia, Isola Di Dino.
How to get
By plane
The nearest airports are Naples and Lamezia Terme.
On the train
The city is home to the RFI railway station Praja - Aieta - Tortora, which allows direct connection with Paola, Sapri is Naples and the indirect connection with the main Italian centers.
How to get around
What see
- Sanctuary of the Madonna della Grotta. So called because it is located in a natural cave inside a hill. In it the Madonna of the Grotto. Legend has it that in August 1326 a Turkish ship quickly plowed the waters off the island of Dino, when all of a sudden it remained motionless, as if by enchantment. The Turkish sailors were terrified and thought that the cause of all this was a curse. They knew in fact that the captain was a Christian and jealously kept in his cabin a beautiful wooden icon of the Virgin and Child (the statue of the Madonna): in order to continue happily, it was necessary to get rid of it at all costs. The pious captain tried for a long time to move the unleashed crew, then had to surrender to violence. But rather than letting the statue of the Madonna fall into the sea, he preferred to abandon it on the beach, in the spacious cave that was nearby, on a large boulder which is still preserved today and the devotion of the faithful never leaves unadorned with flowers. After that the Muslim boat left.
- The statue was discovered by a mute young shepherd from Aieta, who sometimes used to shelter in the cave to escape the rain or the oppressive heat. The mute ran into the village to announce the event and prodigiously spoke and this was the first miracle of the Madonna della Grotta. The next day all the people of Aieta, a town located 3 hours' walk from Praia, came and the statue was transported to the Mother Church; but in the night he disappeared to return to his rough stone altar, in the primitive shelter on the sea where it still stands.
- Since then on 15 August, a large number of pilgrims flock to the sanctuary of Praia to implore the graces from the wooden Madonnina and the statue of the Madonna della Grotta is carried in procession through the town of Praia a Mare every year for three days (14, 15 , August 16). The festival is both religious and profane because in the period in which it takes place there is also the town fair and on the 15th evening of August on the beach the boys of Praia light fires in honor of the Madonna della Grotta.
- Rocca of Praia. Fortified complex of Norman construction dating back to the 14th century.
- Fortino. The defensive fort of Fumarulo di Praia dates back to the sixteenth century and was built by the lords of Aieta to defend the coastal coast.
- 1 Tower of Fiuzzi. Built on a 15 meter high stack of the Fiuzzi cliff, on which there was already an Angevin tower, it is one of the largest towers in the area. It was placed to guard the coast from Saracen raids.
- Casemates. Concrete structures with loopholes built in the years of the Second World War to defend the coast from possible landings.
Sites of naturalistic interest
- Cave of the Sardines. So called due to the abundant presence of sardines there once fished there with a particular net called the "cianciorro" ("giangiuorro" or "giangiuorr '" in dialect).
- 2 Dino Island. Small island that rises in front of the Fiuzzi locality. There are sea caves, among these the most famous are the Blue Cave (for the intense blue color of the water inside) and the Cave of the Lion (the name derives from the presence inside it of a rock that looks a lot like a lying lion).
Events and parties
- Praia World Festival, square of the Resistance. It is an international festival of ethnic music and a fixed appointment of the Praiese summer. The location of the event is the Piazza della Resistenza, crowded with spectators throughout the week-long event.
- Sound Award - a music for the cinema. Moment of international meeting between exponents of the film music scene.
- Praia a Mare with ..., Italy square.
late June - early September. Cultural lounge hosting some of the greatest philosophers, writers and personalities of the national culture. It takes place annually to coincide with the summer season and in a second review during the Christmas holidays. - Celebrations of the Madonna della Grotta. 14 - 15 - 18 August. It lasts three days and is very much felt by the praiesi, who celebrate the protector with a long procession along the streets of the city and by sea, accompanied by choirs, songs, prayers and suggestive fireworks at sea. In addition to religious celebrations, various kinds of events, shows, festivals and the characteristic 'fair' are added.
late June - early September. Cultural lounge hosting some of the greatest philosophers, writers and personalities of the national culture. It takes place annually to coincide with the summer season and in a second review during the Christmas holidays.What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Average prices
- 1 Escopocodisera pizzeria, Via Don Luigi Sturzo, 3, ☎ 39 0985 777623.
- 2 Rinaldi pizzeria restaurant, Via Roma, 28/30, ☎ 39 0985 73067.
- 3 [link not working]Seaport, Via Giuseppe Mazzini, ☎ 39 320 2958345.
- 4 Chiaia Restaurant Pizzeria, Via Leonardo Da Vinci, ☎ 39 0985 72445.
- 5 Roberto's restaurant, Location Fiuzzi, ☎ 39 348 5220902.
- 6 The Cliff of Fiuzzi, Location Fiuzzi, ☎ 39 329 3055135.
- 7 Il Fumarulo Restaurant and Pizzeria, Via Fumarulo, ☎ 39 0985 777873.
- 8 Il Saraceno Restaurant and Pizzeria, Saracinello locality, ☎ 39 0985 777675.
- 9 La Mantinera Restaurant Pizzeria, Contrada Fiuzzi, ☎ 39 0985 779023.
- 10 Ristorante Pizzeria Vecchio Frantoio, Location Piano delle Vigne, ☎ 39 0985 74190.
Where stay
Safety
Pharmacy
- Nappi, Via P. Longo, 51, ☎ 39 0985 72004.
How to keep in touch
Post office
- 1 Italian post, Municipio square 1, ☎ 39 0985 73125.
Around
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Praia a Mare
Commons contains images or other files on Praia a Mare
