What is a Texan girl to do when she wants to get lost in Calabria, Italy? Guest writer Cherrye Moore of My Bella Vita has the perfect place to wander solo among the ghosts of Italy’s past!
When you move to a new country, especially to a lesser-known and traveled region like, oh, let’s say, Calabria, you have ample chances to spend time alone. Sometimes you want to go solo – like when your new husband (and only friend in said region) gets a tad too moody, and other times when you are alone because you have no choice.
Still, there is something invigorating and empowering about being alone in a foreign country – the first few steps along a busy street that is filled with locals chattering in a language only they seem to know; the first time you break that barrier, reach out and speak to them………and they understand you; or the first time you garner courage and drive through a busy street, with sweaty palms and palpitating heart, and make it to your destination unscathed. These are the moments a solo soul like myself yearns for.
Sometimes when I have a morning alone, whether by choice or circumstance, I like to visit Scolacium, an archeological park of 6th Century BC Roman and Greek ruins that is just 15 minutes from my new home in Catanzaro, Calabria………more specifically at Via Scylletion, 1 88021 Roccelletta di Borgia (CZ).
Get lost among the ruins of Parco Archeologico Scolacium / photo: Cherrye Moore
The park’s ruins contain a forum, theatre, necropolis and Greek and Roman streets but they are overshadowed by a brick-red Norman-Byzantine basilica that sits in an olive tree plantation near the Ionian Sea. This place is a true hideaway. You rarely see more than a dozen other people and you can quietly blend into the background, walk throughout the centuries-old ruins or even picnic alone in the park. In the summer months, the community plans live music events and varying art exhibits can be seen year-round.
The Norman-Byzantine Basilica at Scolacium / photo: Cherrye Moore
The archeological museum, featuring statues, coins, columns and other relics that date back to the 6th Century BC is open Tuesday-Sunday from 9:00-1:00 PM. The park gates are typically open Tuesday-Sunday, from 9:00 AM until one hour before sunset.
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Cherrye Moore is a Calabria tour planner and freelance writer living in southern Italy. She writes about travel for MNUI Travel Insurance and about life and travel in Calabria on her site, My Bella Vita. You can also visit her at her bed and breakfast in Catanzaro.
