Journey through the history of Roccelletta di Borgia

Roccelletta di Borgia, sea and archaeology! We are in the seaside hamlet, and first settlement, of the municipality of Borgia, in the province of Catanzaro, along the splendid Costa degli Aranci.

Here stand the monumental remains of the ancient Greek city of Skylletion, later to become the Roman Scolacium, which can be visited with a tour in the Scolacium National Archaeological Park with adjoining museum, one of the most fascinating archaeological areas in Calabria.

The village of Roccelletta di Borgia overlooks the crystalline mirror of the Ionian Sea, surrounded by centuries-old olive trees and citrus groves. Among the unmissable things to see during a holiday in Roccelletta di Borgia is definitely the Scolacium National Archaeological Park, direct evidence of the ancient origins of the locality, founded in the Magna Grecia era and inhabited to this day with a series of interesting historical and cultural stratifications.    

The park and the adjoining National Archaeological Museum of Roccelletta di Borgia stand on a vast piece of land planted with olive trees, formerly owned by Baron Mazza, who still manages the olive grove and the beautiful oil mill that surrounds it, which has been turned into a museum and is the venue for exhibitions and cultural events. The large oil mill at Scolacium is among the best-preserved buildings of industrial archaeology in Calabria. The iconic symbol of the park, visible from a great distance, is the Basilica of Santa Maria della Roccella from the Norman era (11th century), which testifies to the long continuity of the site, frequented from the Greek age to the Middle Ages up to the agricultural history of our days. 

The ancient foundation of Roccelletta di Borgia coincides with that of the Greek sub-colony of Skylletion (of which nothing has been preserved) and the later Roman city of Scolacium, whose remains coexist in splendid harmony with the surrounding nature: from the public spaces of the Forum, where stretches of paved roads and waterworks are preserved, to the presence of a theatre, an amphitheatre further upstream and the sacred area of the necropolis. The everyday finds, as well as the most valuable artistic artefacts and a series of monumental statues and portraits found during excavations, can be admired in the rooms of the adjoining National Archaeological Museum.

Opposite the park is the complex of the Fortified Church of Monisciano, a beautiful example of a church-masseria with two circular towers, used for the ancient management of the territory until the 17th century and part of the Diocese of Squillace. After the archaeological visit, Borgia's identity tale continues in the village on the hill, among the aristocratic palaces that have made the history of this territory, first and foremost Palazzo Mazza, now restored and hosting events, and the oldest churches. A tour of the historical centre also shows the Art Nouveau face that the town took on after the terrible earthquake of 1783.

The seaside hamlet of Roccelletta di Borgia extends into the crystal-clear Gulf of Squillace. The beach of Roccelletta di Borgia is a corner of paradise about 3.5 km long, on which glimpses of Mediterranean scrub alternate and where the rare Sea Lily also shines. This delicate and protected species is one of the most beautiful symbols of the Roccelletta di Borgia beach and the Ionian coast of Calabria, among the most unspoilt in the region. Behind the beach, which offers long stretches of free beach and equipped lidos, is a large pine forest that guarantees coolness on the hottest days.

Moving a few kilometres further south, to discover the Gulf of Squillace, lovers of the sea and diving can enjoy the beauty of the seabed of the ‘’Bay of Soverato‘’ Regional Marine Park (or of the Hippocampus), in the municipality of Soverato (Blue Flag), and the suggestive reefs that make up the Stalettì coastline, between Copanello and Pietragrande.