Itinerary through the places of literature in Calabria

Let's start with the literary soul of Calabria: the Aspromonte National Park, in the province of Reggio Calabria. Here there are many literary itineraries, as the area is the birthplace of some of Calabria's greatest writers, as well as a place of inspiration for the authors of the Grand Tour. We start from the village of San Luca and the House Museum of the writer Corrado Alvaro, winner of the Strega Prize in 1951 with his novel Quasi una vita and famous for his short story Gente in Aspromonte (1930). The Alvaro itinerary touches on the places mentioned in the second work: the Church of S. Maria della Pietà and the remains of Palazzo Stranges, the Loggia del Petto, the Buonamico river, the remains of the “ghost village” of Potamìa and, finally, the legendary Shrine of the Madonna di Polsi, one of the most important Marian shrines in Calabria.

Remaining in the province of Reggio Calabria, we reach the stretch of the Ionian Sea known as the Costa dei Gelsomini and stop in Bovalino, the birthplace of writer Mario La Cava. One of the most influential southern voices of the 20th century, La Cava is the protagonist of an exciting correspondence with Sicilian writer Leonardo Sciascia (recently published), as well as intellectual and artistic exchanges with other greats of his time. Today, in Bovalino, it is possible to visit the author's birthplace on request and participate throughout the year in the cultural activities of the Literary Café that bears his name, including the final evening of the Mario La Cava Literary Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the region.

Another stop on our literary itinerary in the foothills of Aspromonte. Returning inland, heading southwest, we reach the birthplace of writer Saverio Strati: Sant'Agata del Bianco, “City of Murals”, nestled in a charming natural landscape. This is where the author of Tibi e Tascia (1959) was born, one of the most beloved novels by Calabrians (and beyond!), so much so that it is represented artistically on the facades of the historic center. The street art tribute to Saverio Strati, winner of the Campiello Prize in 1977 with his novel Il selvaggio di Santa Venere, is also reflected in other works and biographical scenes that color the streets of the center, leading to the author's House Museum.

Among the official trails established by the Calabria Region is one of the most evocative literary itineraries that can be followed in Aspromonte: the so-called Englishman's Path, inspired by the writer and traveler Edward Lear and, more generally, by the European intellectuals and artists who traveled through Calabria during the Grand Tour in the 18th and 19th centuries. In search of “exotic” landscapes, Lear and his companions ventured inland and along the coast, staying wherever they could and immortalizing every nuance of the landscape and every person they met in a notebook. The trail, a true hiking route, also passes through the ghost village of Pentedattilo, in the municipality of Melito di Porto Salvo, and continues to other locations that can be visited by staying for a few days.

Heading north along the opposite side of the coast, we continue inland to reach Melicuccà, the birthplace of the poet Lorenzo Calogero. Among the literary itineraries in Calabria, this location represents a stop dedicated entirely to the poetic universe of an author who is still relatively unknown. Calogero's personal and literary life was marked by the drama of loneliness and mental illness, which led him to commit suicide at the age of only 51. Among the narrow streets and views dotted with majestic olive trees, one can imagine the daily life of a young doctor with his heart set elsewhere. A visit to the poet's birthplace during the Poetry Festival, held in August, is an opportunity to rediscover his delicate verses.

When talking about literary itineraries in Calabria, one cannot fail to mention the town of Palmi, a jewel set in the Costa Viola, on the Tyrrhenian coast of Reggio Calabria. In addition to the spectacular Procession of the Varia (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and its crystal-clear sea, Palmi is known for its distinctive cultural ferment and for being the birthplace of great figures in the national intellectual and artistic scene: from composer Francesco Cilea to writer Leonida Repaci. The last is one of the founders of the Viareggio Prize, was himself the winner of the Bagutta Prize in the 1970s with his novel La storia dei Rupe. The House of Culture is named after the Palmi writer and his wife: a multifunctional place that is definitely worth visiting as it houses an art gallery, a plaster cast gallery, the Varia museum, and a series of other exhibits that tell the story of the city and the surrounding area.

What attracted the Venetian writer Giuseppe Berto so much that he decided to move to Calabria in the 1960s? You only need to stop among the cliffs of Capo Vaticano, in the municipality of Ricadi in the province of Vibo Valentia, to understand: a veritable Eden overlooking the “Costa degli Dei” Regional Marine Park, among cliffs and prickly pears. In short, it was just what a tormented soul like his needed, having lived through war, imprisonment, and neurosis, but also the joys of winning the Viareggio Prize and the Campiello Prize with his novel Il male oscuro (1964). A “buen retiro,” as they say, where even today visitors can immerse themselves in a breathtaking atmosphere. The writer's house museum, which he built himself and is now run by his daughter Antonia, preserves his study with his typewriter and window overlooking the Aeolian Islands. Every year, a literary prize in his honor paves the way for a young debutant as part of the “Summer at Casa Berto” festival.

The province of Vibo Valentia completes its literary itineraries in the heart of the Serre Regional Park, in the small Baroque capital of Serra San Bruno. The town, home to the famous Charterhouse of St. Stephen, founded in the year 1000 by Bruno of Cologne and still inhabited by monks, is a magical place of profound spirituality and culture. Perhaps this is why it has given birth to important figures in local and national art and literature, such as the writer and journalist Sharo Gambino: correspondent for several national newspapers and author of numerous short stories and novels, including Sole nero a Malifà and Fischia il sasso. In the historic center, you can visit the House of Culture dedicated to Gambino and managed by his heirs, a place of memories and cultural events.

Long forgotten, the hermetic poet Franco Costabile, originally from the Sambiase district of Lamezia Terme, in the province of Catanzaro, is a fundamental figure in the history of Calabrian literature. He committed suicide in Rome after studying under Giuseppe Ungaretti (who dedicated an extremely touching poem to him upon his death) and composed memorable verses dedicated to Calabria, filled with love and hate. In particular, in the collection La rosa nel bicchiere (1961), the poem Il canto dei nuovi emigranti stands out. An artistic installation based on this poem (combined with original texts, audio recordings, and photos by Mario Giacomelli) can be enjoyed at the MABOS - Museum of the Sila Forest in the municipality of Taverna, an integral part of the literary itineraries in the Sila National Park. The poet's tomb can be visited in the small cemetery of Sambiase; in the same neighborhood, a theater and a monument entitled Il poeta seminatore, by sculptor Maurizio Carnevali, are also dedicated to him.

An unmissable stop on any literary itinerary in Calabria is the Nuccio Ordine Library of Calabrian Writers in San Mango d'Aquino, a hillside village overlooking the Savuto Valley in the province of Catanzaro. The name is more than indicative: this modern and well-stocked municipal library (with over 14,000 volumes) is named after the great Calabrian literary critic and intellectual who recently passed away, author of the essay L'utilità dell'inutile (2013). Entirely dedicated to Calabrian writers and authors from the 20th century to the present day, the library is the perfect place for those who want to learn more about regional literature. San Mango d'Aquino also hosts the Muricello Literary Prize, created by the association of the same name.

Among the literary itineraries that can be followed in the Catanzaro area, particularly in the Reventino woods in the municipality of Soveria Mannelli, is the Path of Stories. This trekking route was created in collaboration with the historic Rubbettino publishing house, based in the center of Soveria Mannelli, and offers visitors the opportunity to take a tour of its Company Museum, one of the most interesting in Calabria. The Path of Stories is a 5-hour, 13-kilometer loop trail, where each stage offers a story and an encounter with characters and legends that populate the woods, fascinating for young and old alike.

One of the most evocative literary itineraries in Calabria is the one that explores Pier Paolo Pasolini, who found inspiration for some of his most important literary and cinematographic works in the province of Crotone, particularly in Cutro, during a road trip in the summer of 1959. La lunga strada di sabbia is the diary of that unique experience, and the settings for part of the film Il Vangelo secondo Matteo are none other than the wonderful Marchesato Badlands. A place of love and hate, it bewitched the poet to such an extent that he returned there several times and brought the problems of that corner of Calabria to national attention, winning the Crotone Prize in the same year.

We remain in the province of Crotone for one of the most interesting literary itineraries: one that follows in the footsteps of the Arbëreshë (Italo-Albanian) ethnolinguistic minority, which leads us straight to the places associated with the writer Carmine Abate, originally from Carfizzi. Abate is the only living Calabrian writer honored in this literary itinerary, as he is a representative of a minority literature, as well as the only one among his contemporaries to have won the Campiello Prize in recent times (2012) with his novel La collina del vento. His output is prolific and draws inspiration from the sounds, customs, and local traditions of a community waiting to be discovered, spread across three different provinces.

Our journey through Calabria's literary itineraries ends in the province of Cosenza, in the beautiful seaside town of San Nicola Arcella, a panoramic terrace overlooking the Upper Tyrrhenian Sea. What draws us here, besides the beauty of the sea and the breathtaking sunsets? The romantic story of the American writer Francis Marion Crawford, who happened to land on these shores with his wife while on a boat trip in the Mediterranean and fell madly in love with the place. Another “buen retiro” for writers struck by the charm of the places and legends that inhabit them. Stories such as those that surround the splendid Saracen Tower (not coincidentally renamed Crawford Tower), one of the best-preserved coastal towers in Calabria, purchased by the writer to compose some of his most famous horror novels.