Terranova di Pollino – Alessandria del Carretto

A stage of extraordinary interest, which combines walking, exploration, nature and wilderness. Man, mountains and distant regions, which are united by stories, business, friendships and common reasons for creation. Rivers, valleys, ravines, ancient iron bridges, silent streets interrupted only by the sounds of nature

Terranova di Pollino. Fosso San Migalio, Petto Ottavio and Timpone Rosso.

Area

Lucania

Difficulty

E – Also accessible with MBT, starting from roundabout at the Gorges of Jannace

Distance

10,6 km

Travel time

4,5 hours

Start

Terranova di Pollino

Finish

Alessandria del Carretto

Difference in altitude

↑ 663m ↓ 526m

Accessible

April-December

Springs and fountainheads with waypoint

Celle fountain

River/fiumare crossing (waypoint)

Sarmento River and San Migalio spring

Route

The stage starts from Piazza Generale Virgallita, goes east along the full length of the entrance avenue, Corso Dante, Terranova until it joins the state road SS no. 92. Continue in the direction of the cemetery. A little further on at the second bend, take the path that descends where there is a break in the guardrail, towards the houses of Petto Ottavio. You continue along this ancient mule track, downhill, between spectacular hairpin bends with sweeping views of the torrent and the surrounding woods. You will soon reach the Sarmento riverbed. Follow it towards the mouth until after the confluence with the San Migalio canal. You wade across the river and take the path that leads to the end of the barrier. Before wading across we recommended you go a few hundred metres further down to admire what remains of Bailey bridge built in the 1950s to connect the two banks of the river and enable the arrival at San Migalio. After the barrier on the San Migalio canal, continue the ascent keeping to the slope of the Bosco del Duca. Then proceed along the slightly uphill track, pass the canal again and then merge onto a forest road that connects with a country lane in the place known as “Le Celle”. Walk for a few kilometres on the country lane that climbs continuously, among spectacular forests of Turkey oaks and oaks, scattered here and there with small shepherds’ huts. You pass in front of the Masseria Tufaro and other small farms and reach the junction that leads to the Masseria Ceramilara. Continue to the right until you exit at the Piano del Notaio. You start climbing and the landscape consequently starts opening up. The large wooded Calabrian-Lucanian peaks act as a barrier between the two neighbouring regions and separate the carved valleys from the Canale di Montillo, on the Lucanian side and from the Canale Santoro, on the Calabrian side. The dirt road crosses the San Vincenzo plateau and begins to descend towards Alessandria del Carretto. The landscape opens up in this stretch. You can see the Ionian coast, the Saracen river, the large woods of the Serra di Tagliamano, and the small villages of the upper Ionian coast of Cosenza. The arrival at the Alexandria hostel is a prelude to entering the town. Continue and, at a wide bend, turn right and immediately afterwards go down Via San Francesco, up to the small square of San Vincenzo. Go along Corso Vittorio Emanuele III and in a few minutes, you will arrive in the town hall square, in front of the Church of Sant’Alessandro.

Brief historical overview

Terranova di Pollino: this important residential centre, located at the head of the Sarmento river valley, is quite a young. It was founded by Federico Pignatelli, Marquis of Cerchiara di Calabria and Lord of Noia (now Noepoli) and was given the name Terranovella di Noia.The first records we have of this town dates back to 1595 and originate from a census ordered by the King of Naples which shows that the village had 25 hearths. The town is located at the base of Mount Calvario, at just over 900 metres above sea level and at the confluence of the Balsamano canal with the Sarmento river. The urban area is roughly in the shape of a belt that surrounds the mountain to the west and provides shelter from the cold air currents that come from the north. Several rows of houses run parallel to the end of the southern Apennine road no. 92, which stops in Virgallita square where the parish church “San Francesco di Paola” stands. Built in the late 1600s, the building has a portal in Bosnian pine, while inside it is possible to admire the beautiful altarpiece depicting the Madonna del Rosario, surrounded by fifteen panels with the mysteries of the Holy Rosary, and a valuable statue of St. Francis of Paola.Some other buildings of historical interest standout such as those of the Virgallita and Rusciani families who, over time, have given prestige to the community.

Terranova di Pollino. Bailey Bridge over the Sarmento River.

Alessandria del Carretto was founded in 1633 with the arrival (from the nearby villages of Oriolo, San Lorenzo Bellizzi and Cerchiara) of a number of farmers helped by the Marquis Alessandro Pignone del Carretto, who intended to increase the agricultural area and cultivable land. The village has kept alive many traditions that make it well worth a visit, such as: the Carnival and the festival of “Pitë and of the Patron Sant’Alessandro Papa and Martyr”. The former is a depiction of the struggle between good and evil, with people wearing masks of the “belli” (pretty ones) and the “brutti” (ugly ones): an incredible and unique show. The “Festa della della Pitë e del patrono Sant’Alessandro Papa e Martire” (about to be recognised UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage) dates back to the 17th century, when, according to legend, a woodsman found in the trunk of a white fir tree the image of the decapitated Saint. From that day onwards, every year (starting from the second to last Sunday of April until the 3rd of May) people of the village celebrate through various rituals the values of the community and their cultural identity. Places of interest in Alessandria del Carretto are the Museum “Guido Chidichimo” dedicated to the first Italian doctor to perform an open heart surgery operation (born and buried in Alessandria del Carretto); the Museum of the Woolf, that illustrates the animal’s relationship with man, and the Botanical garden, with a series of itineraries to discover the local flora. “Radicazioni” is the traditional cultural festival that livens up the streets of the village from the 20th to the 22nd of August with popular music, street artists, handmade produces and debates.
Two the most typical dishes are: maccherunë cu suchë du rregonë (pasta of Carosella wheat with lamb’s leg sauce and lard, garlic, parsley and laurel) and the licurdë (stale bread soup with onions, peppers, tomatoes, dried basil, eggs and a dash of aged pecorino cheese).

Terranova di Pollino. The residential centre, Mount Calvario and the houses arranged in a belt on the latter

Map and elevation profile

Further information

Guides of reference for the stage:
Pasquale Larocca – tel. +39 349 7561374; +39 340 7199850 – mail: info@pollinoadventure.com – web: www.pollinoadventure.com
Domenico Bruno – tel. +39 0973 93473; +39 349 4917189
Antonio Miraglia – tel. +39 0973 93407; +39 347 8690093
Mario Salerno – tel. +39 0973 95059; +39 347 6993880

Where to eat

[Alessandria del Carretto]

Restaurant – Pizzeria De Felice – tel. +39 333 3141794
Bar – dal Gatto tel . +39 345 34885 65

Last update: 2022-07-29