Return to Cilento: hospitable land, land of asylum.

Naples

It is an important decision to leave your country, to go to unknown lands!!! The first important step was to reach the first stop, the departure boarding point. And those who lived in southern Italy could only reach the port of the beautiful and tumultuous Naples, one of the capitals of the great Italian emigration, a role that was officially recognized by the emigration law n.23 of 1901. Today as then, for those arriving or wanting to leave from Campania, this city maintains its function as a landing place and it is right here that your tour awaits you for a first welcome! Arrival at Naples airport and departure by private bus to destination in the Cilento Ancient area.

Address: Naples-Capodichino International Airport, NA, Italy

Cilento

From ancient times to the present day many have crossed Cilento, someone has defined these travelers as “beauty diviners”, because this harsh land, with all its social contradictions has the immortal ability to always offer spectacular landscapes, with a rare silent charm. Not being able to wait too long, the root traveler, arriving from his place of departure, is immediately introduced to the beauty of this land, standing there waiting for him. And as the well-known Ungaretti wrote: “…you just need to express a wish, and here they are tearing themselves to pieces to satisfy you: they do it out of an inclination to make themselves well-liked, and it seems to me that civilization is now very rare. Hospitable land, land of asylum! ”. Arrival and accommodation in the facility with welcome dinner or lunch. According to the arrival time there will be a briefing to present the tourist program for the week.

Address: Pollica, SA, Italy

Ascea

“The same thing is thinking and being” wrote the philosopher Parmenides in his famous Poem on Nature, describing the first principle of everything as that “which is and which it is not possible for it not to be”. We are here in Ascea Marina, in the Velia plain beyond the Alento river, land of philosophers and doctors, descendants of the first to arrive on these coasts and who, in this green and blue landscape, saw a resemblance to their place of origin, stopping and building their new home here which later gave birth to Western civilization. Thus begins your tour, with the presentation of your deepest roots, those of an evolved society and that ethnic heritage to which you are proud to belong. A strong contradiction embodied by the Cilento territory, with its landscape of contrasts and an ancient geo-historical and cultural heritage, it is absolutely necessary to start from here, so that you can be aware of it from the first day. Guided visit to the Archaeological Park of Elea/velia, three hours among Oenotrians, Lucanians, Etruscans and Greeks to rediscover the most archaic origins of the first who landed in these lands and made a new city, the seat of Western thought, of the paradoxes of mathematics and of the medical science of care.

Address: Piazzale Amedeo Maiuri, Ascea, SA, Italy

Ascea

Do you know the taste and smell of freshly milked buffalo milk? Do you know what the “white gold” of Italy is? This first day continues with another guided tour, but this time inside a family estate which shows us the work and sacrifices of generations, very often of those who left and returned with the money to invest in what was then It turned out to be a really great idea. An educational journey that shows the entire dairy product chain, makes you experience it and makes you enjoy it! A typical lunch of the Cilento gastronomic culture, for the knowledge of the most imitated product in the world, the pride of Campania, the ambassador of the “terroni” table together with oil and red wine, the queen mozzarella which today you can know in all the its forms. Eating fresh mozzarella is always a first time!

Address: Ascea Marina, Via Isacia, Ascea, SA, Italy

Pioppi

Pioppi and Minneapolis. What on earth could these two places have in common? It’s difficult to guess, yet here, in this small and delightful seaside town, there is a neighborhood named Minnelea, precisely because it was inspired by this American metropolis. In Minneapolis there are few Italian immigrants, not as many as in the rest of the United States, but in Pioppi, on the other hand, only one American was enough to make such an isolated place, originating from a coastal tower and the family that lived there, become a place of research and study, a destination for scientists and doctors. This foreigner from overseas, coming from Minneapolis, was Dr. Ancel Keys, who, intrigued by the Mediterranean lifestyle and the good health that comes from it, moved to the quiet and healthy Pioppi where he coined the term “Mediterranean Diet”. A story of emigration in reverse, the details of which are revealed by the 1-hour guided tour of the Museum of the Mediterranean Diet which today displays many of the objects that belonged to him and takes us on an educational journey on the concept of healthy lifestyles. Followed by a walk along the seafront of the village of Pioppi which ends with an aperitif overlooking the sea at sunset.

Address: MuSea – Via Caracciolo, Pioppi di Pollica, SA, Italy

Pollica

Today we are in Pollica, a small town of 2100 souls, including the inhabitants who returned after emigrating and those whose family history still lives overseas. Here, on a green hill overlooking the sea, the sun shines even in winter, illuminating the solitary tables of the only bar present, a meeting place for the entire population who, awaiting the summer arrivals, enjoy the peace of this village that has never forgotten and which instead seems to be rekindled year after year with the numerous initiatives of the few, who consciously choose to stay. This is the morning dedicated to genealogical research where a visit to the municipal archive of Pollica awaits us, with the hope of finding roots and the certainty of recovering testimonies from the past. For lunch time, a short walk through the alleys, tunnels and steps is planned to reach a historical emblem of the town, the Castello dei Principi Capano, today a study center for research on the Mediterranean Diet of which Pollica represents the cradle. Once at the castle, a cooking workshop awaits us, based on the concept of simplicity and simple dishes, on the reception and preparation of the typical lunch, an experience shared with local grandmothers and any relatives found to be invited, in an atmosphere of genuine conviviality to consume the prepared lunch, sitting at the long wooden tables that this medieval location offers us.

Address: Municipality of Pollica, Via Dante Alighieri, Pollica, SA, Italy

Celso

In the late afternoon we move to the nearby district of Celso, defined by some as the land of the sad and the land of heroes. Its origins can be traced back to the people who took refuge in the hills to escape the fighting between families in their town and who remained here to build a new home. Crossing a long panoramic bridge in the center of the two valleys overlooking the sea, you arrive at the last arched passage to access the silent village, in the centre, the sunny square, characterized by the presence of the imposing Palazzo Mazziotti, today a recognized national monument. Inside this majestic building it is possible to immerse ourselves directly in the past of the Risorgimento in the South, waiting for us is the guardian guide who accompanies us and invites us to breathe the particular atmosphere trapped in these rooms which inevitably takes us back to the past of your ancestors to which this place is still. Without moving, we continue the evening within these historic walls with a culinary sensorial experience, dedicated to taste, in a journey of notable and refined charm.

Address: Celso, Pollica, SA, Italy

Paestum

Have you ever been to Magna Grecia? We’ll take you there! We start our day with two hours of immersion among the monumental Temples of Poseidonia and the incredible finds displayed in its archaeological museum. From the Roman period to today it is better known as Paestum, here, the first travelers of the 18th century were fascinated by the Doric temples and the community that built them, a Magna Graecia site that has aroused amazement ever since with the testimonies of the classical world and modern who has inherited its greatness and pride of descent, for those who return to this part of the south must know the most remote origins. Address: Paestum, Via Magna Grecia, Capaccio, SA, Italy

Prignano Cilento

On this day of excellence, let’s listen to a story that talks about a family tradition that began in the early 1900s and about a thousand-year-old fruit, whose plant requires only a small sprig of cutting placed in the ground and its roots begin to grow . I’m talking to you about the king of the Mediterranean house and the timeless ally of the man who cultivated it, the Fico Bianco del Cilento, protagonist of European excellence in the world. Inside an ancient oil mill, among memories and ancient testimonies, combined with the contemporaneity of a refined and evocative architecture, a tasting journey awaits us that involves the eyes, taste and smell. An experiential journey that starts from an elegant garden, and then continues around the large and spectacular central tables of a factory that processes and presents this fruit as if it were a diamond of rare origin.

Address: Prignano Cilento, via salita San Giuseppe, Prignano Cilento, SA, Italy

San Mauro Cilento

Olive oil sailed overseas because those who had left could not use anything else to season their dishes and this day tells you the importance that this product had in the life of an Italian. This last stage of the day includes a visit to the San Mauro Cilento oil mill, managed for over 40 years by a social cooperative founded in 1976 thanks to the innovative ideas of men and women who chose to stay, in the name of love for land that unites all members. Here the tasting of the first D.O.P. oil of Campania awaits us and a dinner offering recipes from ancient Cilento cuisine, prepared with genuine products from the local countryside and obtained respecting the biodiversity of a territory which has made its lifestyle a human heritageAddress: San Mauro Cilento, Località Ortale, San Mauro Cilento, SA, Italy

Relax day

Whole day of total relaxation between wellness programs, massages and the sea at an exclusive structure located on the tourist port of San Marco di Castellabate, in the heart of Cilento, a SPA Oasis, among the most innovative in Italy, a place of relaxation entirely focused on marine wellbeing, you can immerse yourself in sea water taking advantage of the properties of salt and algae, taking advantage of all the benefits that the sea brings to body and mind. Address: Turistic port of San Marco di Castellabate, Castellabate, SA, Italy

Cultural day

Between Vallo di Diano and Alburni, this day includes a first one-hour guided tour of the Certosa di Padula, the largest monastic complex in Southern Italy as well as one of the most interesting in Europe for its architectural magnificence and abundance of artistic treasures, nominated a World Heritage Site of Humanity by UNESCO. Afterwards we will make a short stop at the first and only museum in the world dedicated to the stories of families, the “Museo del Cognome” where it is possible to delve deeper into research into one’s family origins. The conclusion of this day will be characterized by a last visit, this time in the heart of the earth to the Pertosa-Auletta Caves, one of the focal geo sites of the “Cilento” geo park, the only caves in Italy where it is possible to navigate an underground river, the Negro, as well as the only ones in Europe to preserve the remains of a pile-dwelling village dating back to the 2nd millennium BC. A guided and equipped route with marked and illuminated routes, on a stretch of river navigable by boat, at a constant temperature of around 15°, immersed in a magical silence, interrupted only by the roar of the showers of the underground waterfall, through exploration of caves and cavities shaped by nature over thousands of years. Address: Vallo di Diano and Alburni, Padula and Auletta, SA, Italy

Green day

Hiking day chosen from different hiking itineraries: – MONTE CILENTO – mountain paths with sea view – MEDITERRANEAN PATH – coastal paths, Mediterranean scrub and hidden coves – CUNTARIA RING – small village villages and local stories

– RING OF VILLAGES – villages, vegetable gardens and olive groves – SENTIERO DEI TREZENI – coastal paths and abandoned villages Address: Cilento National Park, SA, Italy

At the end of this day there will be a convivial dinner waiting for them to greet them with locals and newfound relatives.

Piana del Sele

On the way back to the large centres, there is an unmissable stop which once again underlines the coexistence of man with buffalo in the plain which is still today a crossroads of departures and arrivals of those looking for work. This place is the “Museum of Buffalo and Mozzarella”. The first museum exhibition with documents, photos and surprising tools, ingenious work tools and many objects belonging to the daily life of buffalo farmers, farmers, “gualani”, artisans and housewives, that extraordinary humanity that has populated our lands for centuries. A collection resulting from passionate research spanning over a decade, a museum initiative that involves you in an extraordinary journey of memory into the history of our territory.

Address: Battipaglia, SA, Italy

Salerno

Beyond the ocean there is a town with 10 thousand inhabitants and a long maritime tradition that has made fishing its main economy, a place that seems to preserve a Campania soul, a city that recalls Salerno to such an extent, that bear the same name as him. In fact, today, on the coasts of Florida there is the flourishing “Port Salerno”, the twin city which in the 1900s saw the arrival of the people from Salerno who decided to make the crossing and who brought with them an entire city which they reborn on those unknown coasts as the new Salerno. On this day of the tour the real Salerno awaits us on a pleasant urban walk, among its bright and exotic seaside, the lively street and the historic Via dei Mercanti. Among shops and craft store, we reach the Cathedral of San Matteo, the patron saint to whom the devotees of Salerno dedicate the celebrations that close the summer season every September 21st and represent the historical tradition of Salerno more than any other event. After the visit to the Duomo, we continue among the historic and aromatic terraces of the ancient botanical garden, the green heart of Salerno, better known as the Minerva Gardens, here you can discover the principles of ancient medieval medicine and the secrets of the Salerno Medical School , the first medical academy in the West and the first medical university in medieval Europe. Salerno is the essential stage that strengthens the identity of this people in its refined cultural lineage.

Address: Salerno city center, SA, Italy

Amalfi Coast

end the day in the best possible way, there is no more suitable place than a beautiful typical town on the Amalfi coast, the last one towards the south, that corner of life nestled between the emerald sea and the rugged rock of the Lattari mountains, the homeland of ceramics, the oldest of the coastal maritime cities, the beautiful Vietri sul Mare. Here you can walk along the narrow streets that lead to the large terrace, where the town was born, among small shops and artisan workshops, ceramics of every shape and color accompany the entire route in their display, now part of the characteristic urban decoration typical of the Mediterranean countries. And last but not least, all we have to do is treat ourselves to a nice homemade ice cream made with the juice of the famous Amalfi Coast PGI lemon, far beyond the aroma of the classic lemon that we all know. In Vietri, lemons have an intense aroma and are rich in juice from which the famous limoncello is obtained, the digestive liqueur, now known throughout the world. An end of day with a citrus fragrance that, like a seal, is imprinted in the olfactory memory of the roots traveller.

Address: Amalfi Coast, Vietri sul Mare, SA, Italy

Naples

“Addio mia bella Napoli, La tua soave immagine / Chi mai scordar potrà / Del ciel l’azzurro fulgido / La placida marina / Qual core lo rinebria / Ardea ardea di voluttà Il ciel / la terra e l’aura Favellano l’amore / E sola al mio dolore / Dal porto io sognerò, sì Io sognerò / Addio mia bella Napoli, Addio care memorie Del tempo che passò. “

So sang the famous tenor Enrico Caruso, Neapolitan in America. In these verses it is clear the regret of the definitive farewell of the emigrant who leaves his land from the port of Naples, which has always been a crossroads for travelers which has seen millions of its southerners set sail to go in search of fortune. We, like them, dedicate one last day to this incredible city that is Naples, the capital of southern Italy, in its infinite expression of values, between myths and mermaids, art and genius, poverty and nobility, amazement awaits us. Those looking for beauty will find it here in the coastal curve of the Gulf, which from Vesuvius ends with Ischia, Capri and Sorrento. The concept of beauty is infinite, but the charm of Naples is immortal.

Our last morning in Campania is dedicated to guided tours of Naples chosen from:

– HISTORICAL NAPLES – 4 hours on the itinerary to discover its most famous characters: Andreuccio da Perugia, an imaginary character described by Boccaccio in the Decameron, Benedetto Croce, Caravaggio. Along the way, stop for tasting of typical Neapolitan desserts and coffee. – MARADONA TOUR – 4 hours in the places symbolic of the indissoluble bond between Maradona and the city of Naples. Departure from Piazza Plebiscito, Galleria Umberto and the famous Quartieri Spagnoli.

Address: Naples city center, NA, Italy