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Pointing directly towards
Sicily, Calabria
comprises the slender toe of Italy's boot.
Greek Sicilians braved the whirlpool waters of the Strait of Messina to
inhabit
the untamed lands, founding Reggio
Calabria where, in 1972, the Bronzi
di Riace, two bronze statues thought to be at least 2,500 years
old,
mysteriously appeared on the shores.
Calabria's
original settlers also created Crotone,
developing the region's first, and still only, Ionian port, and also
where
Pythagoras established his Society in 508 BC.
Capital city Catanzaro
once supplied the finest lace and linens to the
Vatican
,
and from here beautiful
beaches stretch both north and south. Remote, inland villages are
settled in
mountains of elemental appeal. Terrible and periodic earthquakes have
slowly reduced
some of the region's monuments to rubble, but Gerace
still preserves a huge, Romanesque cathedral,
and Rossano's
cathedral
is a fine example of Byzantine sensibilities. The medieval city centers
of Cosenza
and Pizzo
seem lost in time, and the region's legends include the six-headed
beast of Scilla,
which took delight in drowning sailors attempting to cross the strait. |
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Olive Oil, a staple of the Mediterranean diet, is full of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals found in the olive fruit in addition to being a powerful combatant against ‘bad’ cholesterol, battling heart disease, promoting healthy digestion and much more.
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