Grazie to my dear Roman friend Gioia, who introduced me to Raffaele Ripoli, an architect from Scigliano, Calabria. Although Raffaele has also lived in Cosenza, Florence, Amsterdam, and near Rome and Milan–it’s Scigliano, in the region of Cosenza, set perfectly in the hills, between the sea and the Sila National Park, that is closest to his heart.
His grandmother ran a bakery here, in a building from the 1800s, that sold bread to the whole village. Raffaele has now converted that building into Bed and Breakfast Calabria that’s beloved by travelers, where each room features an elegant, lovely design.
Travelers come here to experience the soul of Calabria , as Raffaele says: “It is the eternal region of romantic imagination. Here you can mingle with the country folk, avoiding common tourist locations and obvious beaten tracks.
I’m so grateful Raffaele has joined in to give his advice for A Golden Day in Scigliano:
The Calabria B&B, offers a breathtaking view over the valley and of a 15th century monastery. You can enjoy breakfast on our terrace…
Then you can mountain bike around Scigliano, or if you would like to discover it on foot, we will give you directions for a walk, over a Roman Bridge that Hannibal crossed during the Punic Wars…
You can discover beautiful churches here, such as the Cattedrale di San Giuseppe…
And further along, there is a forest and a waterfall..
Stop by the Ice Bar in Scigliano for a gelato…
You may want to go to the nearby beach at Amantea.
Or take an hour’s train ride to Cosenza, through beautiful scenery.
There, in Cosenza’s centro storico, you can enoy, Caffè Renzelli
And have lunch or dinner at Calabria Bella (Piazza Duomo, 0984 793531). They serve an excellent pasta dish of Lagani (a thick ribbon pasta), that is a specialty of our region–with chickpeas and mushrooms.
Of course, if you’d like to stay and relax in the sunshine and beautiful natural setting at Scigliano, we can prepare a meal for you, using local specialties…
Grazie Raffaele…looking forward to coming to your dreamy spot soon!
I’m ready to go to Scigliano! And I would follow this itinerary because it describes all my favorite things to see and do. Photos are so inviting. Wonderful post, thank you!
I can feel that southern Italian sun!!! Grazie for warming my day!
Grazie for stopping by paesan!
Prego! And I hope you have the chance to visit Scigliano soon!