Destinations / The Best Places to Visit in Calabria, Italy / Paola
Paola
Paola, a town in Calabria (province of Cosenza ) is known for being the birthplace of St. Francis of Paola, the only saint born in Calabria. March 27th marked the birthday of St. Francis, and April 2 the day of his death and the day of the canonization of a saint. Note the day of St. Francis from 1 to 4 May, these days is a procession that is identical to the sea and land, where is a bust and a cloak of the saint. According to the legend, the ship's captain refused to carry St. Francis to the Calabrian coast in Messina and then swam across the strait holy in his cloak. St. Francis is the patron of Calabria and the Italian Navy. Born in Paola in 1416, Francis in his youth studied with the Franciscans in his hometown. His family was poor and very pious and he was a senior son. As a child, Francis was suffering from swelling of the eye and the parents made a vow that if the child recovers, he will hold the year novitiate in the Franciscan monastery. Francis recovered. And after years in the monastery, his desire to become a monk, only intensified. After a pilgrimage to the holy places in Italy , Francis left the cave, located in an uninhabited area and began to lead a harsh life in solitude and prayers.
Gradually it began to join the followers and there was a community of "Friars Minor". The number of students was constantly growing and Francis founded the monasteries. In 1474 Pope Sixtus IV approved the new mendicant orders under the name "Brother Francis of the Congregation from Paola." For a long time the order was not a permanent name, but in 1493 Pope Alexander VI awarded the Order of the name "Order Eremity minim" and from that time the hermits of St. Francis of Paola was known as the min or minimity. St. Francis of Paola was canonized in 1519 by Pope Leo X. One of the main attractions is Paola Sanctuary of St. Francis which is located about 1 - 1.5 km from the historic city center. Before, the Sanctuary was a spacious area on the right side where the modern Basilica (2000) is. Next to the basilica unexploded bombs that fell on the Sanctuary during the Anglo-American bombing in August 1943 without damaging the holy place were stored. The ancient basilica is in Romanesque style of the XVI century.This single nave basilica, on the right side is a gorgeous Baroque chapel, where are the relics of St. Francis. In the monastery courtyard, whose walls are covered with frescoes of the saint's life, roses are growing. Earth's modern city Paola were inhabited in ancient times, there lived different tribes including the legendary tribe of gross. In II BC the southern part of Italy was conquered by the Romans in the Roman consul Lucius Paola Paolo Emilio built himself a palace and the settlement became known as Paola. When the 395 Roman Empire was divided into Western and Eastern, Paula became a member of the Eastern Empire.
Several centuries in these lands of battle unfolded with Ostrogoths, Lombards, Arabs and Saracens. When the Arabs conquered Sicily, many Italian-Greek monks fled to Calabria. Thus, in Paola, two monasteries were established, relating to the Basilian Order of St. Josaphat – the Greek Catholic Church. In 1000 in Italy, the Normans were to sta, the bold and fearless war, which first came as robbers in search of a quick profit and money, but settled on Italian soil, becoming fully-fledged rulers and masters. The Normans quickly ousted the Byzantines. From the Norman times in Paola was the castle built of Malta. During the reign of Frederick II of Calabria reached its dawn and prosperity. Paola grew up and built. When the power came to Anjou dynasty, Paola moved to the fief of the family of Ruffo. In 1418 Polissena Ruffo was married to the Duke of Milan , Francesco Sforza, giving as a dowry and Paola. But in 1420 Polissena died, poisoned by poison, leaving no heir. Therefore, Paola and other lands returned to Ruffo and were owned by his sister Polisseny Cowell. Cowell, when married Antonio Mardzano, Marino had a son, who, as an adult, participated in a conspiracy against the King of Naples, Ferdinand I of Aragon, surnamed the Just. Participation in the conspiracy required large investments of money, so his feud (including Paula) Marino levied tribute. In the end, Paola was annexed to the kingdom of Naples and received the status of a city. In 1555 the town was attacked and besieged by the Turks and captured, looted, destroyed and burned, not sparing and a monastery was founded by Saint Francis. But Paola quickly recovered and began to grow and develop.
In 1806 the city was occupied by the French who pillaged and burned the Sanctuary of St. Francis. After the Congress of Vienna in 1815 the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was restored, which included Paola. In 1844 Paola was even visited by Ferdinand II, the King of the Two Sicilies and his wife. During the liberation movement supported, Paola joined Italy. All members of the historic part of the town met the Arch of St. Francis, called the main gate of the city, the gates of the sea. It is crowned by a sculpture of a saint. Near the arch is a house (via Terravecchia), the birthplace of St. Francis on March 27, 1416 .His birth was accompanied by signs: a high flame, which lit up the whole house and heard the angels singing. Later on in the house, the modest church was arranged. The Cathedral is located on a hill leading to a long staircase. The cathedral was built during the Norman Conquest, but subsequently rebuilt and became the Gothic features. An interesting fountain with seven channels is located at the foot of a long ladder, it dates from 1636. The 12 holes leaking, resembling a tail is a symbol of Paola. Above a semicircular bowl, which collected all the water available of Spinelli family coat of arms is owned by Paula from the beginning of the XVI century for three centuries.
Others from The Best Places to Visit in Calabria, Italy
The poet Gabriele d'Annunzio called the seafront in the town of Reggio di Calabria, "the most beautiful kilometer in Italy".
Underdeveloped industry and the lack of big cities for a long time, left the sea not polluted and Calabria is still considered a natural paradise.
Reggio Calabria, situated on the shore of the strait between Italy and Sicily is the largest and the oldest city in Calabria, numbering 3,000 years of history .
Here are the Botanical Gardens, the National Museum of Magna Grecia and the Aragonese Castle.
Also on the shores of both the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas there are a number of smaller but picturesque cities with beautiful attractions.
In Tropez is the Santa Maria dell' Izola.
Siderno is known for its comfortable hotels.
Gerace attracts visitors for the Norman castle and its old cathedral.
Skuillache is a beach resort and a place of archaeological sites.
Style is home to the famous philosopher and the utopian Tommaso Campanella, the Norman castle and a Byzantine church.
The main resorts in Calabria are Tropea, Soverato and Scalea.
Resorts in Italy: Calabria (Tyrrhenian Sea) The ancient, harsh land with a rich history, Calabria in the 40-ies of the XX century was practically empty.
Most of the residents had left their native land and went to seek their fortune in northern Italy, America, Canada and Australia.
Italy's entry into the EU initiated the revival of Calabria.
And today, this is a very popular tourist destination.
Best time to visit is from June till September.
Calabrian coast is washed by two seas: the Ionian and the Tyrrhenian.
It has enough beaches for every taste: you can spend time in deserted hidden bays among rocks or hang out in crowded, well-equipped beaches, in the evening transformed into noisy discos.
The beaches on the Tyrrhenian coast are sandy, rather long, surrounded by small cliffs.
Ionian coast is solitary, small and rocky.
Besides the usual beach activities and water sports, you can do "historical adventure" diving.
Fans have the opportunity to examine the remains of 50 sunken ships off the coast, some of which relate to the IV century BC.
The Gioia Tauro It is a 3-mile sandy beach with small patches of gravel.
If you have sensitive feet, it is better to walk on the beach in flip-flops.
There are several bars, restaurants and showers on the territory.
Near the beach there are a few parking lots.
This is a rare beach not closed by rocks, so there is always a refreshing sea breeze blowing.
The Lipari Islands and the Cape of Capo Vaticano are visible from the shore of the island when the weather is fine .
The water is very pure.
The beach is not too crowded and very convenient for families.
Palmi Just as the Gioia Tauro, the Palmi beach is sandy and full with pebbles, sometimes not very pleasant when barefeeted.
The length of the beach is 1 km, the width 50 meters.
In summer it is literally dammed up people.
Free parking cars cannot contain all comers.
Palmi is surrounded by cliffs and approached by coast mountains, overlapping access to the wind, so the hot season here is too hot.
Tropea The beautiful sandy beach is included in the top 10 beaches in Italy of 2004.
It has fine, soft sand.
The length of the beach is of 500 meters, the width is of 30 meters.
During the season it is difficult to park nearby.
The coastal cliff overlooks the beach breeze from the sea.
The Capo Vaticano This is a 500-meter-long beach covered with soft clean sand.
Also, as Tropea, it is very crowded, not enough parking spaces.
Here come a couple and single holidaymakers, hoping to meet new people.
There are bars, restaurants, showers on the territory.
Scilla The classic sandy beach stretches for kilometers along the aquamarine waters.
Scilla is surrounded by cliffs, so here are extremely rare refreshing winds.
To escape from the heat, the sea or a few local bars can only be a solution.
On clear days you can see the coast of Sicily from here.
Reggio di Calabria This is a new bulk beach sand which was brought to the Gioia Tauro.
Rather narrow (25 meters), it stretches for kilometers and it is not too crowded.
The beach is opened to the breeze in bars, restaurants, showers, there are places for free parking.
Soverato The picturesque fishing village of Soverato is stretched by snow-white sandy beaches for a kilometer.
Here there is are "civilized" areas with bars, restaurants, lounges and showers, as well as more secluded corners where you can admire the sunset in the sea with an "intimate" setting.
Scenic views stretch along the beach promenade.
Plan to find housing? If we calculate the average prices for hotels, Reggio Calabria preserves an ancient Italian city.
This point is located in the southwest area of Calabria ( Reggio di Calabria ), at a distance of about 120 km from the town of Catanzaro .
Reggio Calabria is one in the far west of the city in the region.
This ancient city has a long and a rich history.
Obviously, the most important tourist attraction it is the Museo Nazionale Della Magna Grecia.
The Mediterranean Sea for tourists, of course, is a strong argument to choose the purpose of travel.
The number of inhabitants is about 180,000 people.
Reggio Calabria is an important port city.
From the terminal Metromare you can get to other interesting places on the Mediterranean cities, it appears that the Reggio Calabria is one of the five most expensive cities in the region.
Currently, the city can offer its customers a number of hotels and resorts.
Famous areas of the city are : Ravagnese , Pentimele , Archi and Gallico .
The reservation of the rooms is better done in advance.
Reggio Calabria Cheap hotels and accommodation in the district To navigate, you can see other cities in the vicinity.
Table of reference prices for accommodation in selected cities (average price per person per night).
Reggio Calabria and leisure opportunities Are you looking for ancient monuments? Milazzo Castle belongs to the most interesting objects.
Here you will be able to expand your knowledge of history.
Castello Ruffo Recreation and Relaxation Spiaggia di Scilla refers to such places in the county that can make your vacation unforgettable.
Enjoy water fun for your pleasure.
And if you look at the map, nearby you will still find other places perfectly suited for swimming.
Spiaggia di Scilla Reggio Calabria - Transport Removed from the City, the Airport Reggio Calabria (REG) at 4.
3 km: the road will take you only a few minutes of steam.
These constants are flying airlines, for example, from these points: International Airlines Reggio Calabria Airport.
What services do you provide here? If it happens that you get tired, take a break and will find for itself a cafe.
A nice little holiday will not hurt for sure ! Park your car and you will get no problems.
Services in the city and surrounding areas Reggio Calabria - rent, car rental, vehicle rental services Sure, it makes sense to rent a car, because everywhere in the district there are a number of places where you can go.
And what's more, so you save time.
Arrange in advance online a booking car.
Very often it comes money is more profitable than a service purchased on the spot.
Here you can see prices.
What is the best time to visit? This place is situated in the temperate zone.
The weather is usually very pleasant, with no large jumps in temperature.