Rocca Imperiale

The town of Rocca Imperiale was probably founded around the year 1000, at the behest of Frederick II of Swabia, who chose the place as a stopover along the route his militia followed on their way from Sicily to Apulia. Frederick II ordered the construction of a castle and the workers dedicated to its construction formed the first settlement, with the name 'ricarcari', due to the presence of kilns - in dialect 'carcari' - in which lime and bricks were prepared. When the castle was completed, the appellation was replaced with its current name: Rocca as in rock or cliff or even fortress rebuilt on high ground. Today, the Borgo di Rocca Imperiale looks like an evergreen nativity scene. A dense network of alleys and narrow passages connects each level from the base up to the Rocca. The ideal shape from the sky is that of a pyramid that runs along the entire eastern slope of the 'Rocca' and descends gently to the plain. The natural beauty of the landscape, the sea, the richness of the hills and mountains behind it, the architectural and historical heritage, the climate, and the geographical position between the Pollino National Park, the Plain of Sibari and the Metapontino area, constitute an important tourist attraction for Rocca Imperiale.