On the trail of the Longobards in Calabria

The first stop on the itinerary tracing the Longobards in Calabria is Tortora, a seaside resort on the Riviera dei Cedri (Tortora Marina) and Blue Flag winner on the Tyrrhenian coast in the province of Cosenza. Apart from some Palaeolithic remains, Tortora's oldest history dates back to its Roman foundation at the end of the 1st century, when the city of Blanda Jiulia was built on the panoramic Palècastro hill in honour of Julius Caesar. Its archaeological remains are collected in the interesting Blanda Archaeological Museum, inside Palazzo Casapesenna, in the heart of the historic centre. The fascinating journey (also in 3D) through the various civilisations and cultures that have passed through the town also includes the arrival of the Longobards in Calabria, who attempted their first armed incursion into this territory in 592, before conquering it definitively in the 8th century.

Among Italy's "Authentic Villages", Laino Castello, located in the Pollino National Park in the province of Cosenza, is a place suspended in time. With ancient Greek-Roman origins, on the border with the territories of Enotria, the village of Laino Castello played a crucial role in the war for supremacy between the Byzantines and the Longobards in Calabria, with the latter prevailing and building their fortress, Castrum Layni, on the panoramic San Teodoro Hill. The strategic position of the Longobard Castle of Laino, with three sides overlooking the valley and a wide view of the Lao Valley, favoured Longobard power to such an extent that it transformed Laino into one of the seven most important "gastaldati" (administrative districts) in southern Italy. Even today, visiting the historic centre of Laino Castello means immersing yourself in the fairytale atmosphere of the Middle Ages: from the ancient Greek-Byzantine Mercurion to the sacred places dedicated to San Teodoro, a soldier-martyr originally from Armenia (4th century).

Also located within the Pollino National Park and the "Lao Valley" Nature Reserve, the medieval village of Mormanno is the third stop on the itinerary tracing the Longobards in Calabria. The historic centre appears to have been founded by the Longobards, as evidenced by archaeological finds discovered in Costa and in the valley itself. The medieval layout is reflected in the division into four main districts: among the places to visit in Mormanno are the Mother Church of S. Maria del Colle, a beautiful building in Neapolitan Baroque style with a façade made entirely of tuff, and the monumental Votive Lighthouse to the Fallen of Calabria. There are numerous noble chapels that recall the ancient Longobard-Norman splendour.

The fourth stage of our itinerary tracing the Longobards in Calabria takes us back to the Tyrrhenian coast of Cosenza, specifically to the hilltop village of Scalea. If you climb from the beach to the historic centre, perched on a cliff, it is easy to discover the very meaning of the name "Scalea": the village looks like a single large staircase, artfully built to reach the Castle at the top, which was built during the Byzantine-Longobard wars (6th century). From the moment of the definitive Longobard conquest, Scalea remained perched for the next three centuries: surrounded by walls, with houses built together (linked to each other) and open to the outside through two main gates. Guarded by its gastaldo, Scalea took on the characteristic shape of a fortress on the sea that still enchants visitors today. Inside the Cimalonga Tower, you can visit the Antiquarium, which displays archaeological finds from the area.

One cannot talk about the Longobards in Calabria without mentioning the imposing Longobard-Norman Castle of Malvito, a village in the centre of the Esaro Valley, also in the province of Cosenza. It is a fortress built by the Longobards between the 7th and 8th centuries on the highest point of the hill, where the previous Byzantine castrum stood. Over the centuries, especially with the advent of the Normans, the building underwent several alterations: all that remains of the original structure are the walls, which are 120 cm thick, the three towers (two of which are cylindrical), two cisterns for collecting water and a warehouse with an adjoining ice house. The Keep Tower, 17 m high, is accessible via a narrow spiral staircase that connects to the upper floors and the roof terrace. The castle is open to visitors every day and contains the archaeological remains of the ancient Chapel of St. Nicholas.

Cosenza, the historic "Capital of the Bruzi", passed into the hands of the Longobards around the 8th century, retaining its previous Byzantine name of Constantia. The Longobards in Calabria elected Cosenza as their "gastaldato" (administrative centre), perching on the hill where their predecessors' castrum once stood, but destined to contend with the Turkish-Saracens for centuries to come, until its total destruction in 988. Almost completely rebuilt after this date, Cosenza easily passed into the hands of the Normans, who contributed to the re-founding of the Castle and much of the medieval historic centre, now known as Cosenza Vecchia, rich in charm and monumental buildings (first and foremost, the Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Before leaving the Tyrrhenian coast of the province of Cosenza for good, it is worth stopping off at the place that symbolises the presence of the Longobards in Calabria, so important that it bears their name: Longobardi is the name of the seaside town with its historic centre on the hill, founded by King Liutprand himself in the 6th century. The name emphasises the fact that the border between the Duchy of Benevento and the Byzantine possessions ran through the territory. Today, Longobardi is a popular seaside resort and its historic centre bears witness to its important past: from the Church of San Francesco to the Collegiate Church, passing by the palaces in the central streets, such as Palazzo Pellegrini, with its magnificent staircase and noble coat of arms in the courtyard, and Palazzo Preste.

To conclude the itinerary dedicated to the Longobards in Calabria, we must move to the Ionian coast, along the Costa degli Achei in the province of Cosenza. We reach the territory of Cassano all'Ionio, already known for the presence of the important National Archaeological Park of Sibari, where the remains of the Greek city of Sybaris and those of the subsequent Roman era stand. Thanks to its continuous settlement, Cassano all'Ionio is one of the three Longobard "gastaldati" in Calabria: conquered in 576, the town was enriched with monuments, fountains and churches, becoming a fascinating historic centre surrounded by walls. There are many places to visit, starting with the Cathedral, passing through the noble palaces and the archaeological and rock sites that characterise the entire territory of the so-called Sibaritide.