Roccelletta: Beaches and Scolacium

A holiday apartment in Roccelletta takes you to an area where the beaches of the Gulf of Squillace meet the historical remnants of Scolacium. The beaches of Roccelletta offer clear water and sandy seabeds.

Holiday apartment in Roccelletta between coast and history

The beaches of Roccelletta are located on the Gulf of Squillace. A free shuttle takes visitors from the streets of Borgia to the beaches of Roccelletta.

Scolacium and traces of several eras

The Scolacium Archaeological Park preserves the remains of the ancient Greek city of Skylletion, which later became a Roman colony under the name of Scolacium. The Greek foundation of Skylletion in Scolacium dates back to the 6th or 5th century BC. The Roman colony of Minervia Scolacium was founded in 123 BC. The park also contains a Roman theatre, while the remains of a thermal complex bear witness to Roman bathing culture.

The forum of Scolacium has brick paving that is unparalleled throughout the Roman world. The amphitheatre of Scolacium has an elliptical floor plan, typical of structures used for gladiatorial games and animal hunts. The fortified church of Monisciano is a monument in the Scolacium area worth visiting.

Roccelletta di Borgia and the Scolacium Museum

The archaeological area of Roccelletta di Borgia lies in the southeast of the Catanzaro plain, west of the SS 106 Ionica. The associated Scolacium Museum is located in the municipality of Borgia, more precisely in the coastal town of Roccelletta. The Scolacium Archaeological Museum is housed in a rural building dating from 1800. It displays finds from prehistory as well as from the Greek, Roman and medieval periods. The exhibits include monumental statues and portraits discovered during excavations.

The Norman basilica of Santa Maria della Roccella is also known as the Basilica della Roccelletta. It is dated to the period from the late 11th to the mid-12th century and is a Norman building from the 11th century. The basilica has the spatial and iconographic conception of a Western Romanesque church. Its decoration, now lost, is attributed to a formal vocabulary influenced by Byzantine and Islamic art. Its imposing red-brick ruins stand amid greenery.

Frantoio and guided tours in the park

The visitor area of Scolacium Park includes the Museo del Frantoio. The frantoio in the park was built by the Mazza family in 1934. Guided tours of Scolacium Park can be conducted by local tour guides.

Places for planning the rest of your trip

If you would like to compare other places besides Roccelletta, here are the direct destinations: Petrizzi, Falerna Marina, Decollatura, Gagliato, San Pietro a Maida, Sellia Marina, Montepaone and Copanello.

For the higher-level travel overview: Catanzaro.