Sant'Agata of Esaro

Sant'Agata of Esaro is an Italian municipality that stands on a cliff, overlooking the Esaro river, between the mountain ranges of the Calabrian Apennines.

According to some assumptions, the village was founded by some Sicilian ascetic monks who settled in the northern part of Calabria after the Muslim conquest in the 8th century. Other studies suggest that it was founded through colonisation by the Greeks around the 8th/6th century BC.

However, the first historical source dates back to 1075 and precisely from the 'Chronicon Amalfitanum', which refers to Sant'Agata as being occupied by Robert Guiscard.

The small town, which in the past was known for its woodworking, yarns and silkworm breeding, is a treasure chest that preserves traces of its long past.

In reality, man began frequenting these places as early as prehistoric times, as evidenced by recent studies in the Grotta della Monaca, which have uncovered evidence of intense mining activity from the late Neolithic age, when the 'race' for iron and copper began.

Among the buildings worth a visit is the Mother Church of the Santissima Annunziata, which probably dates back to the 13th century and was rebuilt in the 17th century in Baroque style, but now has a new appearance due to mid-20th-century renovations.

Also of interest is the Convent of St Francis of Paola, dating from 1593, with its single-nave church decorated with Old and New Testament frescoes.

There are many more beauties to be admired inside and outside the village: churches, historic buildings, fountains and, as you exit through the 'Tunno', the ancient gateway to the historic centre, mountains, springs, streams and lush, unspoilt nature.