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Italy’s secret south
TIRIOLO
Staggering down a hillside in a maze of
narrow alleys, pastel-painted houses and
Renaissance palazzi, Tiriolo has the hazy
feel of rugged, southern Italy. Dip into the
neolithic past at the archaeological museum
before clambering up to the castle ruins for
views reaching all the way to the volcanic
Aeolian Islands. This is where Italy kicks
its toe into the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas,
with Catanzaro’s beaches a whisper away.
Reinvesting in ancient Italian villages,
companies like ITS ITALY have reignited
Tiriolo’s cultural scene, with a focus on local
artisans like Tommaso Leone, born here in
- Rewind time by visiting his workshop
in the historic centre, which revives
ancient, musical traditions and folklore
with intricate hand-carved instruments
like baroque and Renaissance guitars and
the bowed Calabrian lira. Made from stone,
terracotta, chestnut wood and Erica arborea
(heather) roots, his apotropaic masks nod to
a mysterious Ancient Greek past.
GIMIGLIANO
Perched atop the mountain of San Salvatore
and built in local pink marble and green
stone, Gimigliano is a little-visited comune
which moves to its own relaxed beat. Its
churches and basilica attract pilgrims,
especially at spring’s Mary-venerating
Festa della Madonna di Porto. At backstreet
trattorias, you can eat simply and well,
tucking into Calabrian specialities like
nduja (spicy pork sausage), aged pecorino
and agane e cicciari, pasta ribbons with
chickpeas, garlic, white wine and parsley.
ITS ITALY is supporting the
heritage of the town’s ancient crafts,
which include hand-woven tapestries and
blankets. Busy at her loom since the age of
13, Nicolina Gariano is a local legend. She
follows in her mother’s footsteps, weaving
embroidered tablecloths, covers, sheets and
rugs from silk and wool, one precious thread
at a time. Particularly special are the thick
woolen shawls, or vancali, she makes, that
are part of Gimiglianese costume.
Tucked away in the hinterland, on the toe of Italy’s boot,
Tiriolo and Gimigliano are two of Calabria’s fairest, forgotten
towns, delivering a slice of Italy few ever get to see
Calabria
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PLAN YOUR TRIP
London-based ITS ITALY aims to
simplify the process of buying and
managing property abroad. Having
signed a partnership with more than 60
municipalities across Italy, it aims to offer
concrete opportunities to invest and
integrate with local communities, while
reinvigorating small towns and villages.
Find out more at itsfor.it
Clockwise from left: Gimigliano, Calabria,
Italy; Tommaso Leone’s hand-crafted, wooden
instruments and apotropaic masks
| PAID CONTENT FOR ITS ITALY
