Tortora: historic buildings, archaeology and coast

If you are looking for a hotel in Tortora, start by asking which aspect of the town you want to shape your stay: archaeological history, historic buildings, landscape or coast. The following topics give you specific points of reference for making this decision and help you identify your own travel focus.

Historic buildings and their periods

The Museo Archeologico di Blanda is housed in Palazzo Casapesenna, a 16th-century building in Tortora’s historic centre. It displays archaeological finds recovered since 1990. This brings together the building history of the Palazzo and archaeological evidence in one place.

Palazzo Feudale stands on Corso Via Garibaldi alongside a medieval tower. The Chiesa delle Anime del Purgatorio is considered Tortora’s oldest church. The monumental 16th-century Franciscan monastery includes the church of SS. Annunziata and a cloister. The Chiesa Madre was built in the 14th century and expanded around the 18th century. For a comparison of periods, you can distinguish the medieval tower, the 16th-century monastery complex and the building phases of the Chiesa Madre: they represent different periods and forms of architectural heritage.

Palecastro and the history of settlement

The Roman colony of Blanda Julia was founded on Palecastro Hill, which also overlooks the Gulf of Policastro. Archaeological excavations reconstructed the development of settlement in Tortora from the 6th century BC to the 5th century AD. These are two distinct historical perspectives: the specific founding of a Roman colony and a pattern of settlement development spanning many centuries. Those interested in antiquity can keep these two time scales distinct when exploring Tortora.

Landscape, beach and visible traces

A large part of Tortora’s territory lies within Pollino National Park. This protected-area connection adds a landscape perspective to the themes of local history and architecture. Palecastro Hill, in turn, offers its own geographical point of reference with its view of the Gulf of Policastro.

At Spiaggia di Tortora Marina, the shoreline is narrow and consists of pebbles and dark sand; there are rocks in the water and pebbles on the shore. The sea is considered clear, with shades ranging from turquoise to cobalt blue. Both the nature of the shoreline and the characteristic colour of the water are specific features of this stretch of beach.

Torre Nave is a 16th-century coastal defence tower near the Noce River; large sections of its perimeter walls are still visible. The remains of a Roman mausoleum can also be seen in Contrada Pergolo in Tortora Marina. These two historic sites differ in period and type: one is a coastal defence tower, the other the remains of a mausoleum from Roman times.

The Zafarana cultivation tradition

Zafarana di Tortora adds an agricultural tradition to the history of buildings and settlements: cultivation in the area dates back to the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Tortora’s history can therefore be explored not only through buildings and archaeological traces, but also through the cultivation of a local product and its long history.

Discover more destinations: Oriolo, Cerchiara Di Calabria, Corigliano Calabro, San Giovanni In Fiore, Roggiano Gravina, Santa Sofia D'epiro, Tarsia, Cutura

For the wider travel overview: Cosenza.