Sesto Giorno/Day 6
San Floro, Squillace & Scolacium
Breakfast / Colazione. Another great day planned. Il mattino ha l’oro in bocca! The morning has gold in its mouth!
In San Floro, we will take an in-depth look into Catanzaro’s ancient silk tradition. Since the 1600s, Catanzaro has been home to one of the most important silk industries in Europe, and once supplied tapestries to the Vatican. Nido di Seta has brought new life to this tradition. From their base nestled in a beautiful Mulberry Tree orchard, they breed silkworms and give visitors hands-on experiences at extracting silk.
Lunch / Pranzo at Nido di Seta’s beautiful orchard.
Off to Squillace, a Medieval-walled town perched on a hill overlooking the Ionian Sea made famous for its terracotta.
Free time to browse in Squillace’s many terracotta shops and explore the winding streets of this 1,000 year old village.
Afternoon tour of ancient “Skylletium”, which according to the local legend, may have been founded by Ulysses when he passed through Calabria after the Trojan War. Later, the Romans conquered the area and left their mark by adding a forum and new buildings and renaming it Scolacium. In its most modern years, the property belonged to the Massa family who harvested the ancient olive groves and produced olive oil.
If there is time, make a quick stop at Mulinum. The ancient stone mill was re-launched in the 21st century after a successful crowdfunding campaign led by Stefano Caccavari. Mulinum uses locally-grown organic grains in their delicious breads and pizzas.
Dinner at Agriturismo Costantino, and a performance of traditional Calabrian folk music. Musical performance will feature different instruments such as la chitarra battente, the Calabrian lyre, accordion, wind instruments, bagpipes, pipita, tambourines, etc. A brief explanation about the origins and performance techniques of these instruments will be presented.
