Are you looking for where to go to the sea this summer and want to know the most beautiful beaches in Calabria? If you love pebble beaches and places steeped in history, let me suggest an incredible spot.
Roseto Capo Spulico faces the Ionian Sea: it has a beautiful beach, but above all a long and intense history. Its medieval castle, overhanging the sea, still speaks of pirates, Templars, emperors and even the Holy Shroud.
Read on and discover all its secrets!
Roseto Capo Spulico: here’s why it’s called that
Roseto is a small but very ancient village at the far northern end of Calabria, on the Ionian coast in the province of Cosenza, a stone’s throw from the border with Basilicata. Its main attraction is the wonderful medieval castle, today converted into a restaurant and elegant event venue. The castle of Roseto Capo Spulico stands just steps from the sea: you can plant your umbrella right at the foot of the rock it rises on.
The name of the place dates back to the Greco-Roman era, when roses were grown along these shores. Their petals had many uses: herbal, for making essential oils and, I discovered to my surprise, even for filling mattresses!
Would you ever have thought of it?
The medieval castle
The core of the castle was built by Robert Guiscard between 1058 and 1085, on a pre-existing place of worship: the Castrum Petrae Roseti (“castle of the rock of Roseto”) served to guard the coast from raids and protect the village, marking the borders between the domains of Robert and his brother Roger.
The castle then passed under the control of the Knights Templar, until it was seized by Emperor Frederick II of Swabia around 1228, in retaliation after the Sixth Crusade. The emperor was fascinated by it: he turned it into a true stronghold and left the marks of his famous passion for the esoteric and for alchemy. Of the Templar age only a few coats of arms survive inside, but the structure (trapezoidal, with three towers, one crenellated and higher than the others), is in excellent condition.
And here comes the most fascinating legend. According to tradition, between 1204 and 1253 the castle is said to have held nothing less than the Holy Shroud, the cloth in which Christ’s body was supposedly wrapped, hidden here by the Templars on its way west. It’s no coincidence that the castle is nicknamed “the castle of the Shroud”, and some even tie it to the legend of the Holy Grail: a mysterious stone omphalos, carved with the signs of the Passion, was found within its walls. Fact or legend, the fascination is guaranteed.
In the following centuries the castle survived thanks to its role of guarding the coast against Saracen pirate attacks.
The beach of Roseto Capo Spulico
If part of the charm of this place is due to the castle, we mustn’t forget the beauty of the Calabrian sea.
The beach of Roseto is pebbly and not the easiest to reach without your own transport; in exchange it’s wrapped in absolute calm, and you’ll often find only a handful of people along the whole shore. Don’t miss the chance to bring mask and snorkel to admire the marine life: it’s not unusual to find yourself swimming in the middle of a shoal of fish hunting for food near the shore. But watch out for the sea urchins!
Not far from the Castle of Roseto you’ll also find a couple of bars to cool off in the hottest hours. And if you love these corners of the South between sea and history, take a look also at Ostuni, the “white city” of Puglia, and the beautiful Otranto in Salento.
And you, at Roseto Capo Spulico, are you drawn more by the dive into the Ionian or by the mystery of its castle?
