Bagaladi
The village of water mills amid history, nature and ancient traditions
Town
Bagaladi - Regione Calabria
An expanse of woods, a paradise where nature is wild and uncontaminated: this is the Aspromonte National Park, Calabria's wonderful green lung, a treasure chest of history, culture, faith and traditions. One of its gateways is a small, characteristic village, in the lower Ionian area of Reggio Calabria. Prepared to get to know the most authentic face of this territory, let us discover Bagaladi, the town of water mills.
There is a long history of encounters between cultures already in the name, which - of Arab derivation - means land of the Bagalà family, or Bahà Allah, the beauty that comes from God. Surprising as the expanses of olive trees that this fertile land nourishes and from which an oil with a unique taste is obtained that you can buy everywhere from small producers.
As you explore Bagaladi, you will encounter ancient monasteries, oil mills and water mills. This village nestled at the foot of Mount Sant'Angelo (named for the Monastery of St Michael Archangel, the Archistratega) is part of the Greek area; in fact, it speaks a dialect similar to ancient Greek. You will hear it as you stroll through the village streets that all converge in the square. Here, daily life has a slow rhythm, marked by the simple habits of this small community.
Two valuable marble sculptures are preserved in the churches of Bagaladi: a Crucifix attributed to the workshop of Giovan Battista and Giovan Domenico Mazzolo, from the second half of the 16th century, and the group of the Annunciation of the Virgin, commissioned in 1504 from Antonello Gagini.
One of Bagaladi's characteristics is that it is cut in two by the Zervo torrent. Thanks to the presence of water and an effective canalisation system, over the centuries hydraulic-powered oil mills have been built on the banks of the stream, which can still be admired today in what can be organised as a real tour. Starting from the upstream side of the town, we find the Rossi Oil Mill, a Grimaldian oil mill with a wheel from above, dating back to 1885, now reduced to the state of ruins. You can admire the bottaccio (the basin for collecting water) and the Rossi Oil Mill, now refurbished for stone grinding with a horizontal wheel. This is the mill with the highest thunderbolt in Calabria, with a drop of no less than 19.50 metres. Downstream from the town is the Jacopino Oil Mill, built in the second half of the 19th century and now home to the Oil Museum and the Aspromonte National Park Visitor Centre. It is a Grimaldian-style oil mill with a wheel from above and, finally, at the confluence of the Zervo and the Tuccio torrents, there is an ancient noria, a water wheel that used to lift water from the stream through buckets, but now disused.
In the Oil Museum, in addition to tasting typical products, you can experience the thrill of weaving on a loom and observe live the ancient working of clay in an artisan workshop. At the same location you can plan an excursion accompanied by an expert guide, along the paths leading to the ruins of the cenobi of the Italo-Greek saints.
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