Melito di Porto Salvo: Garibaldi, Churches and Pentedattilo

Giuseppe Garibaldi and his Thousand landed at Rumbolo Beach in Melito di Porto Salvo on 19 August 1860.

Historical traces in Melito di Porto Salvo

The Mausoleo Garibaldino in Melito di Porto Salvo commemorates the night-time landing of Giuseppe Garibaldi and his men from 18 to 19 August 1860 during the Expedition of the Thousand. The museum of the Mausoleo Garibaldino displays weapons, clothing, writings, documents and memorabilia related to Garibaldi. The years 1860 and 1861 mark two consecutive historical points in time.

The Torre Saracena stands in the highest part of the historic centre of Melito di Porto Salvo and dates from around 1550. This dating places it before the Garibaldini stayed at the Casina dei Mille in 1861. Garibaldini stayed there in 1861; the building was shelled by the troops of the Bourbon navy.

Churches and art in Pentedattilo

The nearby Pentedattilo is home to the Chiesa Santa Maria della Candelora, which is also known as Madonna della Purificazione and Candelora. It dates from the 16th century and has its origins in the Byzantine period. The church contains a Renaissance sculpture of the Madonna made of white Carrara marble, dated to 1564.

The Chiesa dei SS Apostoli Pietro e Paolo was mentioned as early as 1310 as one of the area’s four protopapal churches. It contains a holy water stoup and a baptismal font from the 17th century. In Roman times, the ruins of Pentedattilo Castle were initially a military fortress equipped with towers and surrounding walls. Later, under the feudal lords, particularly the Alberti family, they were transformed into a proper castle.

Hiking trail and Calabrian specialities

The Sentiero dell’Inglese is divided into six stages. Anyone planning the Sentiero dell’Inglese can consider the six stages as individual sections of the route. The sequence of stages therefore provides a concrete structure for planning the hike.

In nearby Pentedattilo, Casa del Bergamotto extracts bergamot essence from the cultivation of a family bergamot grove and produces decorated souvenir bottles containing the essence in its exhibition room. A local food-products shop sells typical Calabrian products there, such as preserves, products preserved in oil, jams, juices, compotes and spices. Local wines can also be tasted and purchased there.

Getting to Pentedattilo

The nearby Pentedattilo can be reached via the SS 106 and the Annà exit. This is followed by a 500-metre section of Via Nazionale; the route then continues along a road approximately 4 kilometres long in a northerly direction. The journey is therefore described in a fixed order: SS 106, Annà exit, Via Nazionale and the northern road.

Discover more places

San Luca, San Lorenzo, Cosoleto, Polistena, Galatro, Bocale, Oliveto and Palmi

To the higher-level travel overview: Reggio Calabria.