Italy Web Guide & Travel - Holiday Accommodation, Hotel Rooms, Self Catering Apartments and Villas for rent or sale in South Italy, Food Wine and Italy Travel, Tailor made & Relax Holidays
BOOK HOTEL ROOMS & ACCOMMODATIONS HERE NOW! Hotel Rooms & Accommodations with Fast Secure Reservations engine Provided by our Partner Booking.com @no extra costs! South Italy and most of its little villages, is an area so little known to the European tourism yet in a delightful land wealthy of natural beauties, such as the Arch of Arcomagno, a natural arch of rock, entrance to an attractive coved beach, with calm turquoise sea; the Faraglioni of Capri, beautiful sea rocks in the sea of Capri, one of many in the Amalfi Coast; or the Etna Volcano, still active and one of Sicily's biggest tourist attractions. History and architecture are also very important factors of southern Italy's culture and tourist attractions, like the temple ruins of Agrigento - Sicily; Capri offering one of Italy's most beautiful piazzas (town square) in the middle of town, Piazzetta, completely closed up, giving the impression of a courtyard, surrounded by many shops and cafes and the Torre dell'Orologio (Tower of Clock); or the over 40 mt. high statue of the Christ in Maratea situated on a hill over 300 mt. high offering a most breath-taking site over the port of Maratea. Another great piece of southern Italy history, from Calabria to be exact, is the Bronzi di Riace: two magnificent bronze, human-size, male statues, found in the gulf of Riace, now showing in the museum of Reggio Calabria, representing the Greek conception of heroism and beauty for their classical composure and dynamic vitality. Great tourist attractions for both rural and coastal holidays are also the town of Rivello, based on the graceful Basilicata mountains with its typical hystorical houses that can be found in all old parts of most of southern Italy's towns, and the Trulli, typical Apulia houses with cone shaped roofs. Not to mention the delicious cuisine and friendly people, all part of a world waiting to be explored and taken advantage of.
BOOK HOTEL ROOMS & ACCOMMODATIONS HERE NOW! Hotel Rooms & Accommodations with Fast Secure Reservations engine Provided by our Partner Booking.com @no extra costs! South Italy and most of its little villages, is an area so little known to the European tourism yet in a delightful land wealthy of natural beauties, such as the Arch of Arcomagno, a natural arch of rock, entrance to an attractive coved beach, with calm turquoise sea; the Faraglioni of Capri, beautiful sea rocks in the sea of Capri, one of many in the Amalfi Coast; or the Etna Volcano, still active and one of Sicily's biggest tourist attractions. History and architecture are also very important factors of southern Italy's culture and tourist attractions, like the temple ruins of Agrigento - Sicily; Capri offering one of Italy's most beautiful piazzas (town square) in the middle of town, Piazzetta, completely closed up, giving the impression of a courtyard, surrounded by many shops and cafes and the Torre dell'Orologio (Tower of Clock); or the over 40 mt. high statue of the Christ in Maratea situated on a hill over 300 mt. high offering a most breath-taking site over the port of Maratea. Another great piece of southern Italy history, from Calabria to be exact, is the Bronzi di Riace: two magnificent bronze, human-size, male statues, found in the gulf of Riace, now showing in the museum of Reggio Calabria, representing the Greek conception of heroism and beauty for their classical composure and dynamic vitality. Great tourist attractions for both rural and coastal holidays are also the town of Rivello, based on the graceful Basilicata mountains with its typical hystorical houses that can be found in all old parts of most of southern Italy's towns, and the Trulli, typical Apulia houses with cone shaped roofs. Not to mention the delicious cuisine and friendly people, all part of a world waiting to be explored and taken advantage of.













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Maratea - Travel and Holiday to south Italy, accommodation by the sea or rural

MARATEA - BASILICATA - SOUTH ITALY

Ancient city on the Gulf of Policastro, girdled around by mountains rising above the pleasant valley, echoing the voices of its outlying hamlets, Maratea is the only portion of Lucania on the Tyrrhenian Sea, where it stretches for about 30 km, astride the provinces of Cosenza and Salerno.
Although the birth of the town cannot be dated with absolute precision, there are some unmistakable indications. For example, its name and several other place-names (Calicastro, Racia, Profiti, Filacara, Santavenere) would justify situating it in or around the Greek period, as recent archaeological discoveries appear to confirm. Whereas the name and origins certainly go back to the Greek colonization, the most ancient document on the city, a bull of Alfano I, Bishop of Salerno, dates from the year 1079.

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Perched in a strategic position on the side of Mount St. Blaise, at the foot of the age-old hornbeams, still guarded by its three towers - symbols of the City - Maratea stretches out towards the sea, from which it cannot be seen. Under the picturesque mantle of their reddish roofs with chimney pots here and there, the little houses congregate around the white bell tower of the Mother Church.

Reminiscent of a Christmas crib scene, the narrow streets wind along from Capocasale to the small central square, leading the visitor under ancient arches, past stone doorways and up flights of steps, all redolent of history.
The many churches, housing important works of art, the chapels, the convents and the monastery, the crosses and the obelisks, all bear witness to the profoundly religious spirit of the people. Every year, on the feast of St. Blaise, they traditionally renew their faith, re-enacting, in the joyous springtime of the second week in May, a solemn ceremony of liturgy, costume and folklore. Home of a flourishing cultural movement in all fields, Maratea, since the days of long ago, has always followed its own star. It can boast such avant-garde buildings as the Pino Institute, a music school for girls, or the hospital of Lieto, first unit of the present complex.

The versatility of the people and their artistic flair can be seen from their gastronomic and handicraft achievements, which display their skill in hand-weaving. Their friendliness towards others is a sure sign of that hospitality which is the hallmark of happy holidays.

With its commanding and inaccessible position and its fortifications, the Castle has been the true protagonist of the history of Maratea, ensuring the town's freedom from the bonds of feudalism.
Focal point of the old City, of which the ruins still remain, it now stands guard over the Basilica of St. Blaise, formerly a pagan temple dedicated to Minerva. The breastplate of its patron saint, which escaped the ravages of the iconoclasts, has been preserved in the basilica since 732.

In front of the Sanctuary, on the summit of the mountain which rises steeply above the sea, stands the Redeemer, robed in white, a majestic silhouette against the sky. Beneath his arms, outstretched in the Sign of the Cross, lies a panorama of enchanting natural beauty.
The great statue of Christ, resplendent in its facing of Carrara marble, dominates the Gulf of Policastro and rivals that of Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro. It faces a Popal basilica which is a symbol of the town. The historical centre of Maratea took form around the year 1300, and has remained unaltered to this very day. The port of Maratea, a small jewel set between the coastal rocks and the Tyrrhenian sea.