Albidona

Albidona is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of Italy. The little town is into a territory of 63 km² and the population is about 1,489. History The history of Albidona is shrouded in legend. In fact Lycophron and Strabo have told Albidona was founded on the ruins of Leutarnia, an old and big city of Magna Graecia by the famous fortune-teller Calchas, returning from the Trojan War. The oldest historical informations about Albidona are around the year 1000. Geography Albidona is a little mountain town of Alto Ionio Cosentino, in the province of Cosenza and it is placed between the Ionian Sea and the mountains of Pollino National Park, at 11 km from the sea and 18 km from the high mountain. Its territory is very large; in fact it is 63 km² and extends from the sea (a short stretch of beach between the territories of Trebisacce and Amendolara - 200 m) to the mountain (Timpone della Foresta - 1108 m). Landmarks and tourist attractions Albidona's Tower: is an old tower built in the 16th century by Don Pedro Álvarez de Toledo to defend the Ionian coastlines by the Saracens. It is placed on a marine hill and is called also Tower of Monks because the tower was owned to the monks in the 17th century. Today it is owned to a private family. Mostarico: is a mountain high 743 m, that has a beautiful landscape towards the Gulf of Taranto and Plane of Sibari. Church of San Michele Arcangelo Church of Sant'Antonio di Padova Church of San Rocco Church of Madonna della Pietà Church of Madonna del Cafaro War memorial (Monumento ai Caduti di tutte le guerre): is the first memorial war erected in Calabria. It was built by the sculptor M. Pelletti and was erected in 1966. In 2004 the memorial was restored and the original marble pedestal was replaced by a big boulder, that supports a suggestive statue of "Milite Ignoto". Notable people Elia Astorini: monk, literate, mathematic, medic, philosopher, astronomer and jurisconsult of the 17th century. Luigi Chidichimo: mayor of Albidona for many years and Member of Parliament of Italy. The venerable monks of Albidona: Grisostomo, Girolamo, Alessio and Giacomo. Sant'Angelo e Sant'Arsenio References