Le Castella, located in Calabria, in the province of Isola di Capo Rizzuto (Italy). This is a village filled with history, legends, like other small cities in the world. Slice of Calabria is part of Capo Rizzuto, a marine protected area, thirty kilometers from Crotone and ten kilometers from Isola di Capo Rizzuto, where Icarus, son of Daedalus, was wrecked. According to legend, he founded a colony here, so people from this area were known as "Ikaria". Hannibal, the great Carthaginian general of the second Punic War (218-202 BC), sought refuge between the rocks of Le Castellet, hiding from Roman pursuers.
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| Le Castella Fortress Isola di Capo Rizzuto Calabria Italy |
In the center of this Calabrian town, two famous films were filmed, in which Mario Monicelli "For Love and Gold" and Pier Paolo Pasolini "The Gospel of Matthew" took part. There is a beautiful building of the Aragonese fortress, built in the 15th century. It houses a museum open to visitors and overlooks marine protected areas. The most beautiful seabed can be seen with the help of underwater cameras.
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| Le Castella Fortress Isola di Capo Rizzuto Calabria Italy |
Le Castella beaches
Le Castella is one of the most famous and beautiful beaches in the Crotone Riviera. Located in the village of Isola Capo Rizzuto. From here there is a beautiful view of the Ionian Sea with natural terraces, about 40 meters above the sea. The beach is composed of fine sand alternating with gray cliffs.
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| Le Castella Fortress Isola di Capo Rizzuto Calabria Italy |
Aragonese Castle (Castello Aragonese d'Ischia)
The fortress protected the village from Ottoman raids between the 16th and 18th centuries, but that was not enough to save Giovanni Dionigi Galeni, a local resident kidnapped by the Corsairs, converted to Islam and became the famous pirate known as Uluch Ali. Legends and stories are intertwined here in the arms of the beautiful sea.
Isola di Capo Rizzuto (Italy) is home to many archaeological sites, towers and fortresses guarding this part of the Ionian coast. The area of a protected marine reserve in the province of Crotone, Calabria, overlooks the sea. There have been many wars throughout history in this place, with many conquerors trying to climb the Cape of Calabria. The Fortress in the city of Le Castella is located in a very convenient place, the water surrounds it from all sides and only a small path connects it to the mainland.
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| Le Castella Fortress Isola di Capo Rizzuto Calabria Italy |
Aragonese castle, Ischia, history
The ancient Greeks built a defensive structure in place of the castle, but the Aragonese fortress that we can see today was probably built around the existing Anjou fortress. The castle was completely restored in 2001, many of the walls were rebuilt, which made it very accessible to visitors, it became easy to climb the steep spiral staircase to the top of the round tower. The views of the castle are stunning, especially when lit up at night and reflected in the surrounding water.
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| Le Castella Fortress Isola di Capo Rizzuto Calabria Italy |
How to get to the Aragonese castle
You can get to this fortress by bus number 7. Depart from Porto Ischia, the lower bus station. You won't have to wait long for the bus. Further on foot, transport does not go. About 15 minutes at an average pace and you are at the bridge that connects the fortress and Ischia. You will have to buy a ticket, with which you go through the tunnel and take the elevator up to the fortress itself. The whole trip, together with transport, is then at least 2 hours.