Campana – Perticaro

Red sandstone, oak forests and wheat fields in an evocative landscape where the ancient practice of transhumance (now UNESCO intangible heritage) is still in use to this day to the Sila Mountains, between ruins and stone farmhouses. The ancient village of Kalasarna still echos of Philoctetes’ exploits, the great Homeric hero, and the rock formations of the “Giganti di Pietra” (resembling an elephant and a warrior) remind us of an even more distant past. At the end of the stage is Perticaro, district of Umbriatico, a village perched upon a cliff, surrounded by terrifying precipices: the most impregnable natural fortress.

Campana – Perticaro

Area

Sila Greca –  Sila Piccola

Difficulty

E – Also accessible via MTB

Distance

18,9 km

Travel time

5 – 7 hrs

Start

Obelisco di Campana

Finish

Perticaro

Difference in altitude

↑ 549m ↓ 532m

Accessible

All year round

Springs and fountainheads with waypoint

Yes

River/fiumare crossing (waypoint)

Yes

Route

Brief historical overview

According to studies, the village of Kalasarna has been identified with the ancient city founded by the Homeric hero Philoctetes (according to Strabo) or by the Oenotrians (according to Stefano di Bisanzio) and then extended by Philoctetes. The name change could be attributed to a great bell that was used to warn the people of the village working in the fields of an imminent Saracen raid. The name probably changed during the first phase of the Norman domination, following the release of Calabria from the Byzantine Empire. Byzantines in fact do not make use of bells, a practice later introduced in Calabria by the Normans. It is recommended to pay a visit to the site of the Incavallicata, where hikers can admire the “Giganti di Pietra”, rock formations in the shape of an elephant and a warrior.
Typical dishes include: young goat and oregano, a kind od wild onions (lampascioni), courgette flowers frittelle, the gallu a la calavrisa (Calabrian style capon) and the nzudda (local biscuits).

Cammino Basiliano: Campana – Perticaro

Perticaro is a district of Umbriatico, in the area of Crotone. The latter has extremely ancient origins, dating back to the time of the Oenotrians. Its name has evolved many times throughout the centuries from Bristacia (Magna Graecia era), to Euria (Byzantine era), to Ebriaticum as it was called by the Normans. Located in the pre-Sila mountains, Umbriatico sits on a cliff surrounded by terrifying precipices, making it a natural impregnable stronghold (which explains why the village never invested in the construction of fortification structures). It is recommended to pay a visit to the small Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie, dating back to Medieval times and decorated with traces of coeval frescos, and the Cathedral of San Donato, built in the XI century on top of a crypt (originally a Byzantine basilica from the X century, whose columns were probably originally part of the temple of Apollon Aleo in Krimisa – now Cirò Marina).
Exiting the city centre, passed the magnificent narrow channels of Umbriatico (dug from the Lipuda stream) the trail reaches the area of Cozzo Nero, where are ruins of an ancient city wall, while in the area of Sant’Elia remains of prehistoric tombs. In Umbriatico is still in use the ancient practice of transhumance, now UNESCO intangible heritage, to the Sila Mountains: walking along these territories, hikers will often meet typical Podoliche cows in the wild.
Of particular interest from a natural point of view: the small artificial basin of Petricaro, the monumental oaks, Mount Pescaldo, and the SIC forest (Site of Community Interest), characterised by a dense and fine vegetation, typical of the area.

Free-range cows

Map and elevation profile

Further information

Guides of reference for the stage: Flaviano Lavia +39 339 5290644 – +39 0983 522331 and Domenico Flotta +39 380 7948403, Alessandro Frontera +39 340 3663376

[Umbriatico]

Comune Umbriatico – tel. +39 0962 765803 – web: www.comune.umbriatico.kr.it – mail: sindaco@comune.umbriatico.kr.it

Last update: 2021-12-29