I PARCHI LETTERARI® IN CALABRIA “JOURNEYS TO THE FUTURE OF MEMORY” - I PARCHI LETTERARI IN SILA: ZAGARISE

A few miles away, you are in a great valley, located on a hilltop, ten miles from the sea, you can see Zagarise”. These are the words written by the priest and preacher Giovanni Fiore da Cropani, an early 17th Century writer, in his famous and wide-ranging historical work: Calabria Illustrated.

Zagarise (CZ) belongs to the National Park of Sila. To the south, its terrain gently slopes down towards the Ionian sea and is rich with vineyards, olive groves and fruit orchards. The territory extends across the area between the Sieri and Castellucci Rivers that run parallel to one another. It offers tourists a variety of naturalistic itineraries, including, for example, the Campanaro Falls, the water path and many others. It offers a splendid panorama and an ideal climate and as a result of the abundance of trees and forests it offers a healthy, oxygen-rich atmosphere.

The meaning of the name Zagarise is “a useful thing”. The origin of this name can perhaps be traced to the search for a naturally improved centre to escape the plague for which there was no known cure. Zagarise was in any case founded around the year 1000, and witnessed some moments in history that would result in the creation of two historic centres, the first of which was associated with the Norman tower, and the second, which was responsible for the construction of the main Church. The city is home to a number of monasteries, all of great historic and artistic importance.