The Strada Regia delle Calabrie - Part 3: Along the Diano Valley and the hidden landscapes of Basilicata.

Leaving the bridge of Auletta behind, the route continues along a beautiful stretch of countryside, among streams, olive trees and artichoke fields. We are in the territory of Pertosa, a small village located in a unique area from a geological point of view. Not far from the historical centre, in fact, it is possible to admire the Grotte dell'Angelo (also known as the "Grotte di Pertosa-Auletta"), a spectacular system of underground cavities, tunnels and caverns of karstic origin dating back 35 million years, formed as a result of the incessant erosive action of the 'Negro' river (an underground branch of the Tanagro), which flows through them. In the village, on the other hand, you can visit the Museo del Suolo (Soil Museum), a unique structure in Italy, which offers an astonishing journey of knowledge dedicated to the earth and what happens beneath its surface.

Not to be missed in May is the Festival of the White Artichoke of Pertosa, an event involving the entire town, where you can taste unique artichoke dishes and typical local products.

Returning to Calabria, the road encounters the Campestrino bridge, a rigorous and imposing structure that, together with the scenic system of ramps to overcome the difference in height leading into the Vallo di Diano, represents one of the most important works of road engineering of the time!

The deep gorge over which the Campestrino bridge stands represents the natural border between the Alburni mountains and the Vallo di Diano. Having passed the steep hairpin bends of the Bourbon era and entered the territory of Polla, the road skirts the tall pylons of the Mediterranean motorway, at the bottom of which can be glimpsed the silhouette of the old prison that housed inmates sentenced to forced labour for the construction of the Strada Regia and the imposing Vallo di Diano land reclamation works.

After about two kilometres, the itinerary reaches the village of San Pietro di Polla, which stands on the remains of the Forum Annii, a historic outpost from Roman times on the Capua-Regium road. The hamlet takes its name from the ancient church of St Peter the Apostle, where you can admire precious medieval frescoes, among the oldest in the Vallo. But this section of the road is remembered above all because it holds the most important historical testimony on the via Popilia: the Elogium or Lapis Pollae, an enigmatic epigraph of Roman origin, written in archaic Latin, describing the construction of the road, the distances in miles and the praise of its builder, who remained anonymous due to the absence of the last lines of the engraving. The plaque stands not far from the Taverna del Passo, another building that tells the centuries-long history of this important transit point.

The landscape of the Vallo di Diano begins to emerge clearly in the eyes of the traveller: a large, silent basin crossed by the Tanagro river, enclosed between the Cilento and Lucano Apennine mountains. On the headlands and along the hillsides stand beautiful medieval villages that control the entire valley.

Before leaving Polla, the old road passes through the picturesque medieval village of Sant'Antonio, with houses still preserving their original 16th-century structure. The small chapel dedicated to St Anthony is very striking, simple but perfectly preserved, with interesting frescoes in the style of Giotto.

The historical route reaches the hamlet of Taverne in the municipality of Atena Lucana. An interesting portal with the noble coat of arms of Litterio Caracciolo, Prince of Athena, is on display on one of the buildings in the small town. On the adjacent building, a marble plaque commemorates Giuseppe Garibaldi's stopover during the Expedition of the Thousand.

Atena Lucana is reached by a road that climbs from the taverns onto the headland that houses the village. Remains of megalithic walls from pre-Roman times testify that this is one of the oldest settlements in the Vallo di Diano.

An ancient post station along the Via Regia delle Calabrie, Sala Consilina has always been a strategic reference point for the entire Vallo di Diano, an important crossroads of cultures and trade. Its historic centre, as with all the villages encountered so far, is located upstream from the ancient road, considered a danger because it was a place of transit for conquering armies, but above all because of the presence, until the last years of the 19th century, of the fearsome bands of brigands. To protect the city, on a hill overlooking the entire valley, stood the Norman Castle, an important military outpost whose ruins can still be visited today.

As it crosses the area at the foot of the town, on the eastern side of the valley, the historical itinerary arrives at "Le taverne", where it is possible to see many old houses with their portals on which the dates of construction from the 18th century stand out. Buildings often made of masonry and exposed stone, in the typical style of rural construction in the Vallo di Diano. A transit and resting place of very ancient origins, this stretch of road still shows signs of its past: the Fontana delle Taverne, dating back to the 17th century, is one of the most beautiful and oldest still standing along the entire Strada Regia delle Calabrie.

Leaving Sala Consilina behind and after encountering the 17th-century Trinity Church, with its beautiful bell tower with ogival arches, the historical itinerary reaches the Padula area. A small diversion of about one kilometre leads to the Baptistery of S. Giovanni in Fonte, one of the most curious and fascinating works of early Christian origin in the entire Vallo di Diano. Built on a pond of spring water, the structure literally seems to float on water!

But the most famous monument in Padula and the entire Vallo di Diano is undoubtedly the Charterhouse of San Lorenzo, the largest and most important monastic building in southern Italy. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the complex impresses with its majesty and richness: 51,500 square metres of rooms, corridors, porticoes, chapels, stables, staircases, cloisters and gardens, in a wonderful Baroque architectural setting. Here, in 1535, Charles V of Habsburg stopped over on his famous journey back from Tunis, and it is said that the monks, to honour him, prepared a legendary omelette of a thousand eggs!

Padula's historic centre is also charming and full of panoramic views, where it is possible to visit the House Museum of Joe Petrosino, the famous Italian-American policeman, one of the pioneers in the fight against crime in the United States.

The Strada Regia delle Calabrie runs along the last stretches of the Vallo di Diano, through green and fertile countryside, full of industrious farms. A few old bridges and a few taverns still remind us of the passage of the Bourbon route; the Taverna del Tomusso, in Contrada Fontanelle di Padula, is a late 19th century building erected on the remains of an older structure destroyed during the uprisings of the Neapolitan Republic in 1799.

The landscape is very much influenced by the great land reclamation works of the last century: canals and small watercourses frequently follow one another along the route, which, just before leaving Padula, branches off along a secondary road that bypasses the passage to the hamlet of Montesano Scalo. An itinerary rediscovered thanks to 18th-century maps, which located the ancient and renowned Taverna del Catassano (or Cadossano) in these places, whose name still exists today, but no visible remains of the structure. The name is a clear reference to the nearby Abbey of Santa Maria di Cadossa, a 13th-century Benedictine convent steeped in history and tradition. The abbey can be visited on the first Sunday of August during the procession of San Cono, the patron saint of neighbouring Teggiano. We now find ourselves in Montesano sulla Marcellana, a charming mountain village whose historic centre lies about eight kilometres from the old road.

The southernmost section of the Vallo di Diano is surrounded by beautifully lush nature. The road continues, flanking the Tanagro (which changes its name here and becomes the Calore River) until it reaches the mountains of the Lucano Apennines. An enchanting natural landscape where swathes of forest are interspersed with neatly cultivated fields. In some sections, the modern road stretches alongside the remains of the ancient route, such as at the Ponte di Cassano, a bridge from the Bourbon period situated just before the border with Casalbuono. A small picnic area has been created near the bridge and the disused stretch of road.

Before it arrives in Casalbuono, the road passes the building that once housed the Taverna Nuova or New Tavern, which opened in the late eighteenth century in place of an older structure located further downriver, along what is thought to have been the Roman-era route.

After rounding a few bends, we reach Casalbuono, a picturesque village perched at the foot of the Castello Baronale (Baronial Castle), once a fief of the powerful Sanseverino family from Naples. The town was founded by people fleeing Cesariana, an ancient staging post on the Via Popilia. In August, don't miss the Sagra del Fagiolo (Bean Festival), a cheerful culinary event showcasing the region's finest produce.

A long downhill stretch leads us out of the historic centre of Casalbuono, past colourful Colonial-style houses restored by emigrants returning from South America. Alongside the modern motorway, we can still see some remnants of the old Cammino Regio: the Ponte del Re (King's Bridge) on the Calore River is a sturdy five-arch structure commissioned by Joachim Murat during his short reign.

The route continues through the wonderful woods of Mount Pennarrone until it reaches the Fortino Pass (780 metres above sea level), which was historically a strategic location on the border between Campania and Basilicata. There was previously a military fort here which controlled the Strada Regia. It was later converted into a tavern which is known for having hosted Carlo Pisacane in 1857 and Garibaldi during the Expedition of the Thousand in 1860. Today, in place of the tavern, there is a bar with a plaque that recalls how these two heroes of the Risorgimento once stayed the night here.

The road now crosses the border into Basilicata and enters the Lagonegro area, passing through a beautifully unspoilt mountain landscape. At the end of the Noce River valley, the centuries-old Ponte della Calda, the scene of a famous battle between the Bourbons and the French, still shows off its imposing stone arches. The historic route continues along the eastern bank of the Noce River until it reaches the characterful medieval town of Lagonegro.

Just as it did in Casalbuono, the old road returns in Lagonegro, passing through the centre at the foot of the town. The large square known as "Il Piano" is the real beating heart of this Basilicata town, with plenty of shops, restaurants and traditional bars with outdoor tables where you can sit and chat with the locals. After passing the elegant 19th-century fountain, the historic route heads along Via Calabria, passing the Church of the Santissima Trinità before reaching the bridge at Ponte Serra and leaving the town. The Strada Regia delle Calabrie now faces what was historically one of its most inaccessible stretches, winding through mountains and deep valleys.

At the Monticello junction, the old route takes a right turn, leaving the main road behind and entering the municipality of Rivello. This is a long and quiet stretch immersed in unspoilt nature, with deep gorges and splendid views of the mountains of Basilicata. A short detour brings us to the Convent of Santa Maria degli Angeli, a Franciscan monastery dating back to the 9th century that now houses a retreat, ideal for those in search of a spiritual experience immersed in nature at its purest.

From the hamlet of Vignale, a narrow road leads to the picturesque village of Rivello, one of the most beautiful in Basilicata, full of natural, historical and culinary attractions!

From the Vignale di Rivello district, the historical itinerary heads towards Nemoli through the peaceful Lucanian countryside, immersed in an enchanting landscape amidst the scents of plants and pure air. Nemoli is a pretty little mountain village, elected capital of the small municipalities of Italy in 2008! In ancient times, its name was "Bosco", but following the revolutionary uprisings of 1828, King Ferdinand II of Bourbon decided to rename it, as recalled by a solemn edict posted in the town hall rooms.

The Strada delle Calabrie crosses the town's central square, where the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie overlooks, built in the second half of the 17th century using waste materials from an old convent in ruins. Inside is a statue of the Madonna in Byzantine style, dating back to the 14th century. The route continues through the village, past ancient stone portals and period residences, including Palazzo Filizzola, the former residence of the local feudal lords. Of 17th-century origin, the building is immediately distinguished by the characteristic loggia on the first floor.

But Nemoli is nature more than anything else. A few kilometres from the town is Lake Sirino, a small body of water surrounded by the beautiful landscape of the Lucano Apennine National Park, among beech, chestnut and poplar trees.

Leaving the village of Nemoli behind, the "Cammino Regio" descends towards the Noce River along a small road, immersed in an increasingly dense and luxuriant nature. The little road becomes a path that reaches the crystal-clear waters of the Torbido stream, the sound of which, in the silence of the forest, gives an enchanting feeling of peace and serenity. The stream, today as in the 18th century, lacks a bridge and to cross it (better in summer), you need good hiking boots!

Once in the territory of Lauria, the historic road continues along a magnificent panoramic stretch from which one can admire the entire Lucanian town, spread out like a nativity scene on the mountainside. From this point, precisely because of the extraordinary view, in 1806 the French, commanded by General Massena, unleashed the violent bombardment that destroyed the entire town, sadly passed into history as the "Massacre of Lauria".

Lauria is a single town divided in two: the upper part, called the "Castle", and the lower part, the "Village". After crossing the Gaglione stream, the itinerary reaches another stream, the Caffaro, with its picturesque waterfalls, the remains of an old mill and the San Pietro bridge, which resumes the historic route to the Borgo district. A truly impressive corner, described with awe in 18th century travelogues!

Go to the fourth part of the itinerary