Calabria – Region of sunshine, wine and dolce vita! Italian Course in Calabria
You want to spend your summer holidays on the beach, but at the same time you have the intention to do improve your Italian language skills? So why don´t you take an Italian course right at the Italian coast side?
Calabria is a region in the South of Italy, right in the Italian boot tip. The whole region has about 2 million inhabitants. Its capital is Catanzaro. Our school is situated in the province Vibo Valentia in the little village Santa Domenica di Ricadi, 800m away from the beach and 3km away from the next bigger city of Tropea.This region has a lot of mountains, rivers and lakes and in the East, South and West it borders on the sea. It is home of famous persons such as the designer Gianni Versace or the football player Gennaro Gattuso.
History
Due to historical finds, the first settlements in the area of Calabria can be dated back to the Stone Age. From 800 before Christ onwards, during the Greek colonisation, the original settlers were pushed into the inland. Until 500 before Christ, all the “cities” on the coast were Greek. After the Second Punic War between the Romans and the Carthaginians from 219 until 201 before Christ, Calabria became a Roman province. From the 6th till the 11th century, Calabria was part of the Byzantine Empire and was every now and then attacked by the Arabians. Many other rulers followed, such as the Normans, the Aragonese, the Habsburgs and the Borbons. In 1861, Calabria became part of the Italian Kingdom.
In the following decades, Calabria was hit hard by an economic misery and a big part of the population left the region to find work in other parts of Italy or the world. The same happened again in the 1960s. And still the rate of unemployment in Calabria is above the Italian average. The region is very rural and the main sources of income are agriculture and forestry. (Typical products are citrus fruits, olives, red onions, wine and cheese.) After some economic reforms in the 1970s, some industry developped, but it still doesn´t play an important role. More hope lies on the tourist sector especially in the region around Tropea.
Districts
Calabria is divided into 5 provinces: Cosenza, Crotone, Catanzaro, Vibo Valentia and Reggio di Calabria (from North to South). The capital of the region is Catanzaro, but the seat of the government is located in Reggio di Calabria.
Means of transport
There are regular train connections from the North to the South of Italy.
www.trenitalia.com
Furthermore, the cities of Villa San Giovanni and Reggio Calabria offer ferry boats to Sicily.
For inernational tourism, the region offers three airports: Aeroporto Internazionale di Lamezia Terme in the province of Catanzaro, the Aeroporto dello Stretto di Reggio Calabria in the province of Reggio Calabria and the (much smaller) Aeroporto Crotone S. Anna in the province of Crotone.
www.sacal.it
www.aeroportodellostretto.it
www.aeroporto.kr.it
Climate
Calabria enjoys three different climate zones: On the Thyrranian Sea in the West, the weather is subtropical with only little rainfall during winter. On the Ionian sea in the East, the climate is hot and dry. In the mountains it is cooler compared to the coast region, with snow during the winter months. Calabria has 320 sunny days and belongs to the countries with most sunshine in Europe.
Must-Do´s
Tourism in Calabria is beyond the sun and sand holiday. When you walk through Calabria, the history of the region surrounds you at every step. The historical and archaeological monuments are, together with its sandy beaches and cliffs of vertigo, the major tourist attractions in the area, although it must be said that tourism in Calabria is underdeveloped compared with other European coastal areas.
The mountain formations Aspromonte and La Sila, with the oldest natural park of Calabria and its lakes, are two of the most important sites in Calabria.
If you are more interested in cities, those are the most beautiful:
Catanzaro is the capital of the region and is situated on the narrowest point of the peninsula between the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Sea. It became one of the richest cities in Italy during the ruling of Charles V thanks to its silk production.
Reggio Calabria, on the strait between Sicily and the mainland, is a touristic jewel because if its modernist buildings, beautiful beaches and scenic views. It is the oldest and largest city in the region.
Consenza, known for its Roman Cathedral, the old town and castle Hohenstaufen, is home of the Academy Cosentina.
Scilla, home of many mythological stories, offers an impressive castle and public swimming baths.
Conclusion
Calabria is a beautiful region in the South of Italy, where you are able to combine your Italian languages course with a great holiday on the beach. Remember: With its 320 sunny days per year, Calabria belongs to the areas with most sunshine worldwide!
Italian Course in Calabria has everything you need
We also recomend English Course in London.
