Stage n.08
Civita – Cassano Allo Ionio
Area
Pollino – Piana di Sibari
Difficulty
E – Also accessible via MTB
Distance
11,1 km
Travel Time
4 – 6 hrs
Start
Civita – Piazza Municipio
Finish
Cassano allo Ionio – Palazzo di Città
Difference in altitude
↑ 501m ↓ 341m
Accessible
All year round
Springs and fountainheads with waypoint
Yes
River/fiumare crossing (waypoint)
The stage follows the course of the Raganello River for the first part up until the first weir. Due to periodic spring floods, part of the tracks are under water.
In this stage of the Cammino Basiliano, past the “gironi del Raganello” (the natural reserve of the Raganello crosses Civita, arbëreshë village and one of the “Borghi più belli d’Italia”), we leave the harsh trails of the Pollino for milder kinds of sceneries made of hills, olive groves, clay mountains, farmhouses and wide cultivated plains. The final stop is Cassano Allo Ionio, “the city of churches and fountains”, of very ancient origins. A few kilometres from the city centre, on the slopes of Monte San Marco, is one of the most important karstic systems of Southern Italy: the caves show signs of the presence of men since the Neolithic.
Path towards Cassano Allo Ionio
In this stage of the Cammino Basiliano, past the “gironi del Raganello” (the natural reserve of the Raganello crosses Civita, arbëreshë village and one of the “Borghi più belli d’Italia”), we leave the harsh trails of the Pollino for milder kinds of sceneries made of hills, olive groves, clay mountains, farmhouses and wide cultivated plains. The final stop is Cassano Allo Ionio, “the city of churches and fountains”, of very ancient origins. A few kilometres from the city centre, on the slopes of Monte San Marco, is one of the most important karstic systems of Southern Italy: the caves show signs of the presence of men since the Neolithic.
Path towards Cassano Allo Ionio
Area
Pollino – Piana di Sibari
Difficulty
E – Also accessible via MTB
Distance
11,1 km
Travel Time
4 – 6 hrs
Start
Civita – Piazza Municipio
Finish
Cassano allo Ionio – Palazzo di Città
Difference in altitude
↑ 501m ↓ 341m
Accessible
All year round
Springs and fountainheads with waypoint
Yes
River/fiumare crossing (waypoint)
The stage follows the course of the Raganello River for the first part up until the first weir. Due to periodic spring floods, part of the tracks are under water.
Vallata del Raganello
Route
In late spring it is possible to see the remains of trunks with wide incisions, due to the many “bumps” suffered between the canyon sides; the trees that survive such collisions have extremely hard woods, very difficult to cut down. There are still people that, with difficulty, at the beginning of summer, retrieve the wood just like in ancient times. Leaving the riverbed behind, the itinerary returns to the Statale road and begins the climb along the renowned “gironi del Raganello”, before taking the track past the last hairpin turn to get to the hill of San Nicola. From a certain altitude onwards, the trail offers wide panoramic views onto the coastline and the Raganello fiumara, twisting around the last extremities of the Drisa before crossing the Piana di Sibari and diving into the sea. Soon, the little gravel road merges with the track of Civita/Cassano. Leaving the Pollino Massif behind, the trail enters the Valle dell’Ejano and then the Piana di Sibari. Proceed until the crossroad on the Erano river: a sea of clay cut through by deep valleys, dotted with few unfinished constructions, wheat fields and some olive groves. At the end of the trail is Cassano Allo Ionio.
Brief historical overview
Civita, one of the “Borghi più belli d’Italia”, is an arbëreshë village at the heart of the Pollino National Park. It is highly recommended to visit the natural reserve “Gole del Raganello”. The evocative Ponte del Diavolo (“Devil’s bridge”) has been for a long time the only way to cross the Raganello stream. According to legend, the construction of the bridge in such a difficult and dangerous place was entrusted to the most skilful builder of the community, with the permission of the devil. In order to complete such task (that challenged all norms and rules) it was necessary to seek a little supernatural help. In exchange, the devil asked for the soul of the first person to cross the bridge, usually the very same builder. But the latter deceived the devil, sending a dog across the bridge in his stead. Thus both bridge and builder lived free from curses and obligations. In the proximities of the bridge is the Filanda Filardi, a spinning mill active from 1906 to 1979, that used to card and spin the wool of the many flocks of sheep of the area. Today it has been converted to a museum of industrial archaeology.
Panoramic view
Cassano Allo Ionio has very ancient origins: remains dating back to the Neolithic have been found a few kilometres away from the city. It has been a Oenotrian settlement, a Roman municipality, a Lombard administrative district, a Norman citadel and a Byzantine stronghold. The Cathedral, also known as Basilica della Natività della Beata Vergine Maria del Lauro, is the symbol of an ecclesiastic history that recognises Cassano as one of the oldest and largest diocese of Southern Italy.
The first document that attests the presence of a Bishop, dates back to the Roman Synod of 466 a.C. The Cathedral was founded during Byzantine times and sits on top of an old Romanic crypt, restored many a times throughout the centuries; today it features fine frescos on the vault, a 16th century wooden crucifix, and an icon of the Madonna del Lauro painted on naked rock. Next to the Cathedral is the episcope and the rich Diocesan Library, keeper of codex, platee, incunaboli and over 1500 volumes. The ex Diocesan Seminary hosts treasures of sacred art. From Piazza S. Eusebio hikers can see the brick structure of the Torre Campanaria. Just in front are Pietra del Castello (the ancient Colle Marzio), with the remains of the Norman castle sitting on an old Greek/Roman fortification. On the right side is the Torre dell’Orologio, a rare (if not the only) example of ancient clock operated by hand and a system of weights made of rock. A few kilometres from the city centre, on the slopes of Monte San Marco, is one of the most important karstic systems of Southern Italy: the Grotta di Sant’Angelo Inferiore (1325 m long), the Grotta di Sant’Angelo Superiore (1005 m) and the Grotta Sopra le Grotte di Sant’Angelo (233 m). The caves show signs of the presence of men since the Neolithic.
Map and elevation profile
Further information
Guide of reference for the stage: Emanuele Pisarra +39 333 8732829
[Cassano allo Ionio]
Comune Cassano allo Ionio – tel. +39 0981 780201 – web: www.comune.cassanoalloionio.cs.it
Promozione Turistica Ufficio Turistico – tel. +39 0981 780250 – web: www.facebook.com/pg/Ufficio-Turistico-Sybaris-comune-di-Cassano-allo-Ionio– mail: promocassanoionio@libero.it
Guida Turistica Elena Ferrari – tel. +39 392 3527019
Guida Turistica Cristian Di Bella – tel. +39 35 8513876
Where to sleep
[Cassano allo Ionio]
B&B EJANO, via Centrale, 9, di Salvo Cirianni – tel: +39 320 6334599 – mail: salvo.cirianni@yahoo.it – CIR 078029-BBF-00001- CODICE CIN: IT078029C16TC9S8DV.
Extra: not verified
[Cassano allo Ionio]
Albergo – Hotel Terme Sibarite – tel. +39 0981 237436 – www.termesibarite.it – mail: info@termesibarite.it
Where to eat
[Cassano allo Ionio]
Restaurant – Trattoria Anno Zero – tel. +39 327 6631024 – mail: davide.fasanella@gmail.com
Extra: not verified
[Cassano allo Ionio]
Restaurant – Trattoria Il Poveraccio – tel. +39 348 2228808
Pizzeria – Ai Fiori – tel. +39 392 5800031 -pizzeriafiori@gmail.com
With thanks to Regione Calabria for the Contribution to the project.
Last update: 2025-02-05
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Project carried out
with the contribution of the
Regione Calabria
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Project carried out
with the contribution of the
Regione Calabria
