Page 57 - Mediterraneo e dintorni - nr 11

Il Santuario di Paola al tramonto. Sullo
sfondo le Eolie (ph Alessandro Mantuano)

tain vegetation at decidedly low
altitudes. Walking on the paths of
these mountains you will be en-
chanted by the views that appear
to you. It is in this scenario that,
thanks to historical research and
cartographic evaluations, it was
possible to reconstruct the pro-
bable routes traveled six centuries
ago by the Calabrian hermit. Saint
Ciclamini nella faggeta (ph Alessandro Mantuano) Francis of Paola in the fifteenth
century walked the steep paths of
the coastal range in one direction
and the other, crossing high pas-
ses and making journeys of dozens
and often hundreds of kilometers,
whenever he had to move to reach
the sick or meet with rulers and
men belonging to the ecclesiastical
hierarchy, or to build new mona-
steries. Taking into account the
central position of the Sanctuary of
Paola along the Way, this can also
be covered only partially. In fact,
there are four itineraries: La Via
del Giovane: 49 kilometers in three
stages, which branches off from the
Convent of San Marco Argentano
where a child Francis stayed for a
year. La Via dell’Eremita: 63 ki-
lometers in three stages, starting
La statua del santo, nella faggeta di Croce di Paola e Montalto (ph Luigi Gentile) from Paterno Calabro. La Via dei
Monasteri: 130 kilometers in six
stages, which unites the conven-
ts founded by the Saint: Paterno
Calabro, Spezzano della Sila and
Corigliano Calabro. La Via per la
Francia: 70 kilometers in three sta-
ges, which retraces the last days of
Francis in Calabria before leaving
for France, where he was called by
King Louis XI; the last greeting of
blessing to his land the Saint made
from the top of Monte Sant’An-
gelo, on the Pollino. The first two
itineraries are already active, with
complete signage and organized
reception; the other two routes are
being defined. The Way is included
in the Atlas of the Italian Way by
Ministry of Cultural Heritage and
Activities. The best time is spring,
early summer and autumn.
Santuario di Paola (Alessandro Mantuano)

Mediterraneo e dintorni - 55