Gerocarne

Among what were once the most inaccessible woods of the Calabrian Serre, in the province of Vibo Valentia, lies the small town of Gerocarne.

It was here that Giuseppe Musolino, Italy's most famous brigand, hid. Today, he is the protagonist of the evocative Brigante Path, which crosses the Serre Regional Park and reaches the imposing Arms' Stone.

A short distance from the village is the unmissable Ariola Nursery (named after the small municipal hamlet that hosts it), a must-see in all seasons of the year: one of the nine regional forest nurseries that play a fundamental role in safeguarding local biodiversity (maples, holly trees, linden trees, chestnut trees, cypresses and even a specimen of ginkgo biloba, a real living fossil).

Gerocarne is famous for its ancient terracotta work, sold throughout Italy and characterised by unmistakable apotropaic elements, drawing on superstition and symbols of popular tradition.