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Visit and See
Overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and the beach towns that become very lively and chaotic as soon as the summer season arrives, Maiera and Grisolia lay silently on the rocky mountains of Calabria, in a relaxing atmosphere enjoying one of the most beautiful panoramas that the world has to offer.
These two Medieval boroughs are one of mother nature's spectacular mystery...
Although they are at short distance from each other, only few hundreds of metres in fact, it takes a longer time that you should think from one town to the other, as they are dramatically separated by the deep, impassable Valley of the torrent Vaccuta.
The two towns were probably built on these heights to prevent from possible Saracens' raidings, Grisolia rises on the left side of the ravine and Maierà on the right.
Grisolia and Maierà are part of the "Pollino National Park", a preserved natural area with various kinds of fauna and flora, that expands from the Calabrian territory to Basilicata region.
Located in this natural paradise they are however just few minutes drive away from other South Italian Towns where you can find the area's souvenirs as well as typical products to taste or to take away with you.
Wine is an exquisite luxurious tradition in this area, as well as most areas of Calabria, you can find the regional DOC wines or get in the graces of the friendly Calabrian people and they might let you taste the strong homemade wine they produce from their very own cultivated vineyards.
As all the ancient towns of southern Italy, traditions have been preserved through time and the ones of Maierà and Grisolia can be noticed when revealed in the every day life of the inhabitants.
Their traditions can be tasted in the typical pasta and meat dishes and is unmistakably noticed in the nice friendly attitude of the "Mahjerajoti" and "Grisulijuti" people.
Visit the towns around, all offering their very own typical product, wine, history and beautiful natural areas, like Diamante the home town of the "Peperoncino", very hot chilli peppers, and the picturesque "Murales" painted on most of the old town's walls.
Santa Maria del Cedro and the fruit that naturally grows only in this town, the "Cedro". Cirella and it's historical remains, with it's ancient town that legend has it, was eaten away by giant ants or Scalea with it's Sentinel towers and Atelier shops.
Maiera, Grisolia and the surrounding towns are really so stunning that have to be seen to be totally admired.
Grisolia and Maierà are very similar to each other for the common feudal past and the traditional ways of living. Either of them has hardly changed in the architectural structure since feudal times, retaining the same lanes, flights of rough stairs and narrow streets.
Even the melodramatic phenomenon of emigration has been a common feature to both villages for their population has fallen to only few hundreds, but repopulates during the summer season when the emigrants go back to their homes on vacation or tourists climb as far as they can to enjoy the impressive countryside surroundings, admiring the panorama in the deep silence that hovers around.
Maierà hosts a feudal manor positioned at the top of the town and and Grisolia's church "Madonna delle Grazie" houses various valuable objects such as the silver cross of the 15th century, a wooden octagonal baptismal font with it's carved panels that go back to the 18th century and two wooden statues also dating back to the 18th century.
