Today I spent most of the day visiting the towns of Borgia and Squillace, with stops in Copanello and Caminia. Another glorious day in Calabria, hot and sunny!
Borgia is a small town and commune in the Province of Catanzaro. I walked the old streets and visited 2 churches. Unfortunately the famous “Biblioteca Communale di Borgia” was closed. That’s something to be aware of. The tourist season is over so regular hours no longer apply. They may say they’re open at 9:00a.m. but when you get there, it’s closed. I’m just going with the flow, though, so I wasn’t disappointed😁.
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Chiesa d SS Rosario built in 1st half of 1500
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Chiesa del SS di Rosario
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Madonna del Rosario
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Ceiling of Chiesa del SS.di Rosario
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Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista (patron saint) built in 1547
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Inside Chiesa San Giovanni Bautista
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A road in Borgia
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Renovated Home in Borgia - laundry hanging freely from the balcony
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Church Bell Tower
Then I made my way to Squillace, an ancient town and commune in the Province of Catanzaro. The “modern” town was founded in the 6th-8th century during the Byzantine reconquest of Italy. This is what strikes you when you are in Calabria; the sheer age of buildings and the fact that they have withstood all that comes with the passing of so much time. They are still standing strong. The famous Borgia family ruled Squillace at one point. Today, it is known for their skilled artisans working in ceramic and you can find so many shops where you can watch them work.
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View of the Castello Normanno from the town
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Costello di Squillace from the 11th century BC
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Ceramic Portrait of the Castle
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Bottarga La Terracotta
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Outdoor wall of shop decorated with ceramic pieces
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Ceramic tiles adorning shop with fun sayings
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Pignatari style of ceramics (earthward container so named for cooking beans over an open fire)
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“Made by hand, with love”
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Beautiful ceramic plates and decorations
After visiting some shops and the Castle (it was closed to visitors so I didn’t get to see the inside), I walked along the pebble streets and took in the beautiful vistas as well as the lovely old houses.
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View from the oldest part of town
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Vista - Calabria is land of olive trees
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Family Garden
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Beautiful flowers
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Mural on restored old house
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Strange plant
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I would definitely recommend a visit to both these towns! I made my way back to Soverato and, on the way, I stopped at Copanello and Spiaggia Caminia. These are popular spots for swimming in the rocky coves. The water is a beautiful turquoise and so clear you can see right to the bottom.
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Copanello Rocky Coves
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Beach of Caminia
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Copanello
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Crystal clear waters of Copanello
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Crystal clear waters of Copanello
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Crystal clear waters of Copanello
That’s all for today!