ENGLISH * THE
CILENTO
AFTER
ALLUVIAL PLAIN OF THE RIVER SELE, THE LANDSCAPE BECOMES PREDOMINANTLY MOUNTAINOUS,
BUT WE HAVE CHOSEN TO APPROACH THE BAY OF POLICASTRO VIA THE SEA, ATTRACTED
BY THE WILD AND VARIOUS BEAUTY OF THE COASTLINE WALLS OF ROCK WHICH OPEN OUT
TO THE SEA IN CAVES, PINNACLES, SUDDEN DROPS, GREEN OR BARREN SLOPES AND PEACEFUL
INLETS.
CILENTO IS WELL KNOWN AS A SUMMER SEASIDE RESORT AND A MECCA FOR PLEASURE
CRAFT, ON ACCOUNT OF THE LARGE NUMBER OF TOURIST HARBOURS, PROVIDED WITH EVERY
COMFORT AND FACILITY.
BEHIND US WE CAN SEE STILL SEE THE JAGGED CREST OF THE INTENSE PURPLE MOUNTAINS
OF THE AMALFI COASTLINE, AND IN FRONT, WE CAN MAKE OUT THE PROMONTORY OF PUNTA
LICOSA, CLOSING OFF THE GREAT BAY OF SALERNO TO THE SOUTH.
HERE NATURE IS TRIUMPHANT, WITH ALL ITS FASCINATING BEAUTY AND IRREPRESSIBLE
VITALITY.
THE ISLANDS OF THE SIRENS APPEAR ON THE GLEAMING SEA IN THE DISTANCE, WHERE
PASSING SAILORS WERE ENCHANTED. WE ARE FLYING OVER THE GODDESSES BELOVED SHORES,
WHERE THE OLD LEGENDS STILL LIVE ON. IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE NOISE OF MOTOR-ENGINES,
PERHAPS WE SHOULD STILL BE ABLE TO HEAR THE SIRENS SINGING.
SOUTH PF PAESTUM WE CAN JUST GLIMPSE THE RUINS OF VELIA, THE ANCIENT TOWN
OF ELEA FAMOUS FOR ITS SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY. AT PRESENT EXAVATIONS ARE BUSILY
REVEALING ITS GLORIOUS HISTORY. THE ELEATIC SCHOOL, WHICH DEVELOPED IN THIS
PART OF MAGNA GRAECIA IN THE COURSE OF THE SIXTH CENTURY B.C., WAS DISTINGUISHED
FOR THE LIVELY INTEREST IT TOOK IN PROBLEMS OF A LOGICO-LINGUISTIC NATURE
AND FOR THE DIFFICULTIES WHICH INHERE IN
THE MOST FAMILIAR NOTIONS. THILOSOPHERS SUCH AS XENOPHANES, PARMENIDES, ZENO
AND MELISSUS BELONGED TO THE SCHOOL.
IN THOSE LONG-DISTANT TIMES PHILOSOPHY TRIED TO EXPLAIN MYTHS SCIENTIFICALLY,
BUT THE MYTHS NOW LIVE ON IN THIS REGION WITH ALL THE FORCE OF POETRY.
THE PROMONTORY OF PUNTA LICOSA DOES NOT IMPEDE OUR VIEW. IN THE V-SHAPED BEND
IN THE COAST OPPOSITE SALERNO, WE CAN SEE AGROPOLI, WITH ITS WHITE HOUSES
SLOPING DOWN TO SEA AND, CASTLE ON A HILL, CASTELLABATE, BUILT IN 1123 BY
THE ABBOT OF CAVA COSTABILE GENTILCORE. THIS SMALL VILLAGE HAS AN INTERESTING
HISTORICAL CENTRE WHITH TINY AND PICTORESQUE ROADS.
ON THE HILL IT IS VISIBLE THE ANGEVIN ARAGON CASTLE OF THE XII CENTURY. LIKE
MANY DISTRICTS IN CILENTO, IN THE MIDDLE AGES CASTELLABATE BELONGED TO THE
BADIA OF CAVA WHICH POSSESSED IN THE ZONE EIGHT MONASTERIES WHERE THE FIRST
INHABITANT CENTRES WERE FOUNDED THE WAR OF VESPRO, FOUGHT BETWEEN THE ANGEVINS
AND THE ARAGONSWAS LETHAL FOR CILENTO, AND ALMOST ALL THESE VILLAGES WERE
DESTRAYED. GIOVANNA I D'ANGIO' RETURNED THEM TO THE MONKS, BUT A CENTURY LATER
IN 1414, GREGORY VII GAVE THEM TO KING LADISLAO OF DURAZZO, BUT BE NEVER ADMINISTERED
THEM, SINCE IN THE MEATIME THE ARAGONS SUCCEEDED THE ANGEVINS. DECLINING TOWARDS
THE SEA IS SANTA MARIA OF CASTELLABATE OF WHICH ALREADY EXISTED A CHURCH SINCE
1102. THE CLIFF ON WHICH THE SEA MAKES SPECTACULAR EFFECTS IS MADE OF AN ANCIENT
CAVE OF BLOCKS. THE DOCK NEAR THE END OF LICOSA BELONGED TO SAN MARCO OF CASTELLABATE
IN ANCIENT TIME DETACHMENT OF THE FLEET OF MISENO. IT IS VISIBLE THE REMAINS
OF THE ROMAN DOCKS AND A FORTIFIED BUILDING NAMED "LA TORRETTA".
ALSO THERE EXISTED A NECROPOLIS, BUT FROM UP HERE IT IS DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY
IT. ALSO OGLIASTRO (FROM OLEASTRUM WILD OLIVE) AND PERDIFUMO (FROM FOOT OF
THE VIVER) HAVE ACIENT ORIGINS HAVING BEING FOUNDED APPROXIMATELY DURING THE
YEAR ONE THOUSAND.
WITH A SLIGHT TURN, WE PASS BY PUNTA LICOSA, AN IMPORTANT LANDMARK FOR SAILORS,
AND CONTINUE DOWN OVER ONE OF THE LONGEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACHES IN ITALY.
A WHITE CREST OF FOAM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTENSELY BLUE SEA SHOWS US THAT
WE ARE FLYING OVER ACCIAROLI. THIS IS A REEF WHICH SEEMS ALMOST DELIBERATELY
PLACED TO SERVE AS A WARNING FOR SAILORS.
THERE IS YET ANOTHER INLET IN THE ROCK CASALVELINO, A PLEASANT VILLAGE PLACED
HIGH UP, BUT WHICH TODAY HAS RAPIDLY GAINED ACCESS TO THE SEA. ALMOST ALL
THE TOWNS IN THIS BEAUTIFUL AREA ARE BUILT ON HILLS, BECAUSE, RIGHT UP TO
THE BEGINNING OF THE LAST CENTURY, THEY HAD TO DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM THE
RAIDS OF SARACENS AND PIRATES. ON THE SEA ITSELF THERE WERE ONLY A FEW FISHING
VILLAGES, AND IT IS THESE WHICH HAVE DEVELOPED MOST TODAY. ASCEA AND MARINA
DI PISCIOTTA ARE BOTH GOOD EXAMPLES OF THIS.
ANOTHER STRETCH OF BEACH FRAMED BY MOUNTAINS AND THERE COMES CENTOLA AN UNINHABITED
VILLAGE ON TOPE A MOUNT OF HORRID BEAUTY. CLOSER TO THE SEA, THE LANDSCAPE
IS LESS HARSH. THIS IS CAPO PALINURO, WHERE THE MYTHICAL HELMSMAN WHO ACCOMPANIED
AENEAS IS BURIED. DESPITE ALL THE EXTENSIVE MODERN BUILDING DEVELOPMENT, THE
SHORES AND PROMONTORIES WHICH LINE THE SEA CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE OF LEGEND,
IN WHICH THE HARMONIOUS VERSES OF HOMER AND VIRGIL SEEM TO MINGLE WITH THE
SOUND OF THE WAVES.
IT SEEMS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CARRY THE DAILY WORRIES OF MODERN LIFE ABOUT
WITH ONE IN PLACES OF SUCH SWEETNESS AND CALM, WHICH CONSOLE AND HELP US TO
FORGET.
HERE IS ANOTHER PRETTY HARBOUR. IT BELONGS TO MARINA DI CAMEROTA, WITH ITS
PUNTA DEGLI INFRESCHI. THE WIDE BAY OF POLICASTRO OPENS BEFORE US, BUT WE
MUST TURN BACK TO EXPLORE THE MOUTAIN REGION OF CAMPANIA, ITS HARSHEST AND
HIGHEST INDEED, ALMOST INACCESSIBLE PART.
