#arbëresh

Civita, Calabria, Italy

Civita is hilltown town in Calabria in the heart of the Pollino National park, in Southern Italy's Calabria.

In Civita, Calabria, the history centers on an Albanian community fleeing from the Turks. While a precise arrival date is not known, the first Albanian explorers most likely came to the area in the 1470s. The “new” arrivals brought their language and culture with them, settling throughout the Pollino Mountains.

In keeping with Civita’s history, the local religion and village architecture reflect Arbëreshe culture. Just off the main piazza stands the Italian-Albanian Mother Church dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta. Its parishioners follow the Byzantine rite as part of the Eparchy of Lungro, an Italo-Albanian diocese in Calabria, subject to the Holy See. The Baroque structure features many elements of the Byzantine church, such as the beautiful iconostasis in walnut and olivewood, numerous icons and frescos.

Civita maintains its original layout, with neighborhoods of old two-story stone houses with large fireplaces situated along narrow lanes. Interestingly, the facades of several homes resemble faces, with a long chimney for the nose and windows for eyes.

The chimney stacks are another characteristic of the village, each unique design giving that personal touch to the habitation.

This village of fewer than 1,000 also boasts the dramatic natural setting of northern Calabria’s Pollino Mountains, part of Italy’s largest national park. One of Civita’s highlights is the Gole del Raganello, a deep canyon carved by the Raganello River, which flows to the Ionian Sea. From Civita’s enviable position of 450 meters (1,480 feet), views of the expansive river valley extend all the way to the sea!

From the oldtown, you can hike down the side of the canyon or take a jeep to the Ponte del Diavolo. This Devil’s Bridge has the familiar tale of having been constructed by the devil in exchange for the life of the first soul who crosses it. Being cleverer than the diavolo himself, the local landowner who made the pact with the devil tricked him by sending a sheep, instead of a person, over the new structure.

Photos by Un Trolley per Due and Calabria: The Other Italy