From 5 July 2010 to 12 September 2010

Every :

• Monday
• Tuesday
• Wednesday
• Thursday
• Friday
• Saturday
• Sunday

Monday

Discovering Ancient Towns

History / Nature tour Vivere i Musei

• Acciaroli
• Pioppi
• Marina di Casal Velino
• Marina di Ascea
• Gioi
• Stio
• Magliano Vetere

 

A journey through history, from prehistory through to notable contemporary artists.

In the 15th century convent of St Francis, an actor interprets Enzo Infante, a master, and chronicles his life, and the elements that inspired his life, with an exhibit of paintings that depict "his" Africa, Leghorn and Gioi. In Stio, there is a chance to discover another important contemporary artist, Antonio Trotta. At the Museum dedicated to him, there are works of art, sketches, photograph and life-size models of the artist, who has displayed his work at the Venice Fine Arts Biennale.
At Magliano Vetere, the Paleontological Museum offers an important panoramic view on the age in which "the sea built the mountains". Visitors will discover the important remnants of flora and fauna in the fossils found both on land and in the seabed.

 

Dive into Nature

Nature tour

• Policastro
• Scario
• Morigerati
• Caselle in Pittari

 

The Park offers nature lovers lots of enchanting places in which to spend an unforgettable day "immersed" in the green, or in the clear waters of its marvellous sea.

This is what is offered the visitor who chooses "A dive into nature". An itinerary that moves from Policastro towards delicious Scario, a small and welcoming seaside villages with clear waters brimming with marine life. One continues towards Morigerati with a visit to the WWF Oasis at the grotto of Morigerati, inside which one can view the wonderful bubbling up of the Bussento River, where the river comes back into the light following an underground trip. A truly all- encompassing experience.

Gym shoes are recommended.

 

 

Discovering the Enotri and Lucani

Archaeology tour Vivere i Musei

• Palinuro
• Roccagloriosa

 

The visitor takes off for a trip back in time to discover the populations that visited the Cilento before the Greeks. With period re-enactments, music and sound effect, one can trace an unusual itinerary that connects the remote past of the Italic populations, the Enotri and the Lucani, to the current conformation of the towns of Palinuro and Roccagloriosa.

In front of the Antiquarium of Palinuro, one can see an eccentric story hunter, who invites the visitor on a journey to discover the events of the Enotri, listening to the objects. The artefacts found in the burial grounds of the 6th century B.C.E. in the town of San Paolo. The journey continues on towards Roccagloriosa, where one can review the Lucani, with the Princess Fisteila which move, in the lower Antiquarium, among the reliquaries that contain the objects used in life, and present visitors with their finely made jewells. In the upper Antiquarium, are the sounds of the workshop and the voice of a master vase maker to evoke that population!

 

Tuesday

 

The Treasures of Cilento and Vallo di Diano

Nature tour

• Agropoli
• Paestum
• Pertosa

 

The tour starts off at Agropoli with a stop at Paestum, with one breathtaking view after another, and moves on towards the Cilento interior, reaching the Municipality of Certosa, set against the scenic landscape of the Albumi Mountains.

In the area surrounding the Municipality are the Caves known as the "Angel Caves". This visit will prove to be a unique experience, teeming with feeling and offering amazing chances to sightsee...and it all starts in a little boat. The Pertosa Caves, the most significant in all of Southern Italy, are wedged into the rock for approximately 3000 meters under the Alburni Mountains and unfold into a fascinating series of tunnels, excavated areas, narrow passageways and grand "rooms". During the visit you will begin to completely understand the different concepts of space and time. Time, in fact, seems to run slower here, and space seems to contract in its immensity.

Packed lunch, gym shoes, sweatshirt or jacket are recommended.

 

 

A Sea of... History

Archaeology / Scenic tour Vivere i Musei

• Acciaroli
• Pioppi
• Marina di Casal Velino
• Vallo della Lucania
• Moio della Civitella
• Pattano *

 

The itinerary offers visitors experiences that make the Park come alive, along with aspects tied to local history, costumes and local traditions.

The tour begins with a visit to the typical seaside town of Acciaroli, and the first stop is at the Vallo della Lucania with the visit to the "Museum of Women in the Arts" (July 6, 20 / August 3, 17, 31), which is enhanced by a guide in period costume called "The Lady", who will reveal the secret language of fans. Moving on to the "Herbarium" (the Erbario), site of the former Dominican Convent of Vallo (July 13, 27 / August 10, 24 / September 7). The second stop will allow visitors to discover the halls in the Museum of Farming Culture at Moio della Civitella, where with a soundscape of old-fashioned chants and songs, one can view antique work tools and everyday farming and husbandry instruments. The tour continues onto the Civitella archaeological site, featuring a stroll through a shady chestnut grove.

Gym shoes are recommended.

 

 

Wednesday

Travelling through Wonders

History / Scenic tour

• Marina di Camerota
• Palinuro
• Padula
• Teggiano

 

From the South Coast of Cilento, we move on to discover two important towns in the Vallo di Diano (Diano Valley): Padula and Teggiano.

The first stop is at the Padula Carthusian Monastery (the "Certosa di Padula"), also known as the St Lawrence Carthusian Monastery, the largest in Italy. The history of the building spans approximately 450 years. The main section of the Carthusian Monastery is in a Baroque and covers a 50,500 m2 area, which include 320 rooms. The monastery has the largest cloister in the world (approximately 12,000 m2).
The visit heads off to Teggiano, with two museums connected to the environment and to the traditions of the Cilento. The visitor can thus discover the intimate aspects of the Cilentan community with the Museum of Traditions and Ancient Trades, where objects from everyday life are housed. Nature lovers can deepen their understanding at the Museum of Herbs and the Viridarium, where an expert will explain plants' properties and their many applications in medicine, cosmetics and beauty.

Sailing through Time

Archaeology / Scenic tour

• Santa Maria di Castellabate
• Acciaroli
• Pioppi
• Marina di Casal Velino
• Velia

 

Archaeological sites, coupled with unspoiled nature, make up the Park's extraordinary heritage – one that continues to grow, thanks to new discoveries.

The "Sailing through Time" itinerary brings the visitor into an up-close look at this world, with a trip that runs along – in the first part – the gorgeous Cilentan coast, winding through characteristic seaside towns: Santa Maria di Castellabate, Acciaroli, Pioppi and Casal Velino. The journey then continues, along the road towards Ascea, bursting into the timeless charm of Elea, the homeland of Parmenides and Zenon, revealed as if by magic by the archaeological site of Velia, poised on a verdant hill against the backdrop of the blue Cilento sky.
And thus the visit to the ancient Greek city, part of the Unesco World Heritage list and a Major Cultural Attraction of the Campania region, becomes a truly moving experience – a must-see destination.

A Stroll through the Temples

Archaeology / Scenic tour

• Acciaroli
• Santa Maria di Castellabate
• Paestum

 

The tour begins amidst the vibrant colours on the coastline, with stops in two typical seaside villages of the Cilento area, where the beauty of the panorama and landscapes will make for an unforgettable experience along an unspoilt stretch of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The visit continues towards the ancient city of Poseidonia, an archaeological site famous the world over for its incredible temples. Visiting Paestum makes for a wellspring of unforgettable feelings. Their grandeur will take your breath away. The site features the temple dedicated to Hera, one of the largest Greek temples built out of stone, the temple of Athena (also known as the temples of Ceres), smaller but likewise enchanting, and the Temple of Neptune that shows the mature forms of the temple of Zeus of Olympus. Once inside the city walls, one begins to appreciate, fully, the value of a site declared a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Thursday

Environment and Traditions

Nature tour Vivere i Musei

• Acciaroli
• Pioppi
• Marina di Casal Velino
• Sant'Angelo a Fasanella

 

The Environment and Traditions tour begins in Acciaroli, and offers the tourist both the nature element as well as the anthropic characteristics of the Park.

In the historical centre of Corleto Monforte, the visitor will find the Nature's Museum, an important collection of examples of animals culled from the entire territory of the Park. Kids will discover birds' habits and habitat, through a fun-filled scavenger hunt. In the Angel's Cave in Sant'Angelo in Fasanella, visitors will discover a mystical, sacred place where the contemplation of the created world unites with prayer. A stroll into the green discovers the traces in of man in nature, the Antece: a human figure cut into the typical gray rock of the Cilento area.

Gym shoes are recommended.

 

Nature, Culture, Spirituality

Archaeology / Scenic tour

• Acciaroli
• Acciaroli
• Pioppi
• Marina di Casal Velino
• Castelnuovo
• Monte Sacro
• Novi Velia

 

The "Nature, Culture, Spirituality" tour allows the visitor to admire not just the sea and the old-fashioned towns, churches and sanctuaries of the Cilento area, but clear signs of the importance of Christian faith here.

The tour takes off in the quaint seaside town of Acciaroli, and touches Pioppi and Casal Velino Marina before continuing towards Novi Velia. The first stop lets visitors tour Borgo di Castelnuovo, which takes its name from the ancient castle that looks out over the city, and is the property of the family of the Marquis of Talamo-Atenolfi. The second stop leads to the green heart of the Cilento, on one of the highest peaks of the Region of Campania, the Gelbison Mountain, from which one can view one of the most beautiful views in the region. A mountain known as Monte Sacro (the Sacred Mountain) for its sanctuary, one of the most visited in the Region of Campania, erected on the summit... once the visitors reach the top, they will feel as if they are walking in the clouds.

Gym shoes are recommended.

Friday

The Green of the Cilento, passing through the Via Istmica

History / Nature tour

• Santa Maria di Castellabate
• Agropoli
• Paestum
• Roscigno Vecchia
• Laurino

 

During "Magna Graecia", Paestum was connected to the Sibari colony by way of the Via Istmica.

This tour goes over a part of the Via Istmica connecting the coast to the Valle del Calore, to discover two centuries of particular importance. The first visit leads visitors on a discovery of what has been defined as the "Pompeii of the 19th Century": Roscigno Vecchia. The "Borgo" ("Burg"), abandoned by the inhabitants because of a landslide, has remained almost suspended in time. On the main piazza is still a public fountain where water runs, ready for the women to do their washing.
The main church and some homes face onto the main piazza. Across their facades, one can still make out the old shop names; the streets of the town fan out from the central square. The tour then takes off again for Laurino, a small medieval town in which the traces of a glorious past are still visible, and can be seen at sites like the Ducal Palace and the Convent of St Anthony, the site of an Antiquarium, which houses a number of pre-historic artefacts found in a number of Cilentan locations.

Water energy in a natural oasis

Nature tour

• Agropoli
• Paestum
• Oasi dell'Alento
• Sessa Cilento *
• Perito **

 

Where there's water there's life. This tour brings the visitor to discover a fascinating world tied to water as a source of energy, yesterday as today, and a refuge for rare species.

The tour takes visitors to a fascinating place of high-level engineering: the dam on the Alento river with its oasis. Here a number of rare birds (even some endangered species) go back to make their nests, and enter into contact with nature by admiring the animals that roam free inside this facility, visit the artificial lake where visitors can also take a tour in a row boat, or take the kids to a playground, enjoying a little R&R to the tune of birds chirping and singing in the trees. Another stop is Sessa Cilento, on Monte Stella, where in the town of Mazzacanini, one can admire the antique water mills recently salvaged by the Park Board. An entirely bucolic scene where you will discover ancient traditions of country farming life. The dam is partly included in the municipality of Perito, where a perfect example of harmonization between natural environment and human presence can be admired: the ancient town center, with its notable palaces, is bounded by a chestnut grove, greatly appreciated by the inhabitants. Here visitors can enjoy the shade of the trees after a stroll around the town.

* : On July 9, 16, 23, 30 / August 27 / September 3, 10

** : On August 6, 13, 20

The Castles on the Coast and in the Interior

Nature tour

• Paestum
• Agropoli
• Lustra / Rocca
• Agropoli

 

The Park is famous for its rich historical and architectural heritage, which has long distinguished its old-fashioned towns and ancient Castles. The tour leads us to discover these marvels from days gone by.

The first stop is in the municipality of Lustra where, after visiting the Monastery of San Francesco, one continues in the historic town centre of Rocca to admire the formidable Castle built by the Longobards before passing into Norman hands. From the splendid views of the hills, the journey heads towards the sea for an interesting stop in Agropoli, where one goes on to discover the Castle, and the characteristic historic centre. The ancient town centre, which juts out over the sea, is quite worth the visit for its inestimable panoramas.

Gym shoes are recommended.

Saturday

Crossing the Park towards the Geosites

Nature tour

• Marina di Camerota
• Palinuro
• Policastro
• Sanza
• Rofrano

 

This splendid journey across the Park offers a chance to discover the enchanting views of an extraordinary region, from the Bay of Policastro through to one of the examples of the Park's geosites: the Vallinova chasm.

Upon arrival in Sanza, the itinerary offers a magnificent visit to Mountain Cervati, with the famous chasm of Vallinova. A precipice, elliptical in shape, more than 50 meters wide and 90 meters deep, where the waters feed into a seasonal pond. The chasm is connected towards the outside via an approximately 500 meter long tunnel, created in the 1950's to allow a rapid out flowing of the river waters. It is through this tunnel that expert hikers (carrying torches) can take a quick excursion into the chasm itself. The natural spectacle in which all can take part is of rare beauty and majesty. From the Dante-esque descent into the chasm, the tour then takes visitors onto Rofano, a little town in the hinterland, where they can visit the historical centre and the organic food market set up for visitors. Here, it will be possible to taste and purchase local products with authentic, unmistakable flavours.

Gym shoes, sweatshirt or jacket are recommended.

The Ancient Heart of Cilento

History / Nature tour

• Marina di Camerota
• Marina di Casal Velino
• Acciaroli
• Pollica
• Celso
• Galdo
• San Mauro

 

The itinerary is made up of six stops, in an exhibit which, beginning in the most typical seaside resorts of the Park, moves into the hills, from which can view extraordinary, breathtaking views.

Beginning with the Casal Velino, the tour moves onto Acciaroli, first reaching Pollica and then moving onto San Mauro Cilento. The tour wends its way from the sea and into the surrounding hills, where one can view the little town of Galdo, a fascinating little nook that has preserved, unspoilt, the simplicity and the solidity of the Cilentan elements, as well as those of Celso, a naturally terraced area from which one can view the sea of Acciaroli on one side, and from the other one can see Casal Velino. The capital offers tourists a moving experience – seeing the Pollica Castello. For those who love going on walks, one can reach the town of Celso from Pollica in about half an hour by foot. One continues through to San Mauro Cilento, where one can taste the simple, authentic life of these small country towns.

Ancient Castles and Palaces of Cilento

Historic / Architecture tour

• Agropoli
• Paestum
• Roccadaspide
• Giungano

 

Cilento, over the centuries, has been home to noble families who have left behind the signs of their power with fortresses, castles and palaces.

The tour called "Ancient Castles and Palaces of Cilento" offers visitors a taste of this heritage, beginning with the Medieval castle of Roccadaspide, before arriving at the 18th century palaces of Giungano. Roccadaspide, placed on an enormous granitic hill, on which we find the marvellous Castle heading back to the Medieval period. In Giungano, the historic town centres offers a number of other architectural marvels, like the Aulisco Palace ("Palazzo Aulisco"), which hosts the prestigious library that houses texts from the 18th Century, the palazzo Ducale, an especially beautiful building from the 17th Century which to this day seems to foist a symbol of feudal power on the visitor, of other splendid Palaces from the 17th Century, built according to the traditional canons of the aristocratic homes of the Cilento area from that period, with their remarkably beautiful, grand doors.

Sunday

Discovering Certosa

History / Nature tour

On days 11, 25 july / 8, 22 august / 5 september:

• Acciaroli
• Pioppi
• Marina di Casal Velino
• Marina di Ascea
• Padula

On days 18 july / 1, 15, 29 august / 12 september:

• Paestum
• Agropoli
• Padula

 

A tour to discover one of the most important monuments of Southern Italy. The Carthusian Monastery of St Lawrence (Certosa di San Lorenzo) of Padula.

The visit to the Carthusian monastery offers an amazing way to delve into the life of the Carthusian monks. The Carthusian monastery of Padula is the largest in Italy, and amongst the most famous. Founded in 1306 by Tommaso Sanseverino on the site of a pre- existing monastery, it is dedicated to St Lawrence. Its structure brings to mind the image of the grill upon which the man was burned alive. The history of the building spans 450 years. The Carthusian monastery's main section is in a Baroque style, and it covers a 50,500 m2 surface area, with 320 rooms.

Packed lunch recommended.

Adventures in the Grottoes

History / Nature tour

• Santa Maria di Castellabate
• Agropoli
• Castelcivita

 

From the Cilento Coast, to the Karstic wonders of the Vallo di Diano, this itinerary offers a must-see tour that crosses the entire park.

It takes off from Santa Maria di Castellabate and makes a stop in Agropoli, before continuing on towards the Castelcivita Caves. This group of karst cavities comprises a succession of tunnels, halls, narrow passages and wells, one after another and one above another in a rainbow of colours, creating formations that are unique of their kind. These caves are the living image of an indescribably sublime spectacle whose beauty can only be verified by visiting them.

Gym shoes, sweatshirt or jacket are recommended.