The next step is in Calabria and precisely Monte Pietra di Cappa, the largest monolith in Europe.
We leave for Reggio Calabria, early in the morning because we will have to walk.
What do we know about this place? Actually we did not even know its existence before reading an article about the "strange" Calabrian places.
It was enough to read about ancient stories, legends, Jesus and apostles against the devil, Templars and much more.
Talking about its origins is already a nice puzzle between history and legend. As we approach the mountain, an old man tells us the locals talk about the origin of Pietra di Cappa in the Middle Ages, there are documents to testify.
A legend links the name to the apostle Simon called Peter, to whom Christ gave the task of building his Church. Simone (in the texts of the Greek Gospels) is called Kefa by Christ which means Rock, hence the Italian translation of Rock which becomes stone (Petra) and then Peter. (Pietro)
So Cappa (the sound of the letter K in Italian) was a reference to the word Kefa.
Another legend tells that Jesus and his Apostles arrived here as they traveled to spread the good of the Lord.
In this place they had to do penance, their task was to collect boulders and bring them in front of the Lord, Peter (always him!), perhaps out of laziness or because he considered the work too tiring, decided to collect a small stone.
Jesus transformed the boulders into bread and everyone was happy, except for Peter, he found a small bite in his hands. The apostle understood the lesson and decided to leave that stone in memory of his malice and touching it with a finger made it so big that it covered the ground all around.
While we continue to walk on the trekking route (oh I forgot ... we are inside the Aspromonte natural park) reserved for experienced hikers (about 7 hours of route and a beautiful gradient) our travel companions continue to tell legends on the spot.
This is the one I liked the most, perhaps because they told it to me just when I could see a humanoid shape in the rock.
Legend says that it is the imprint of the devil. Christ arrived in Calabria during one of his pilgrimages (I believe immediately after turning the boulders into bread), during a conversation with Pietro, the Devil assaulted him trying to draw him into temptation (like in the desert). The Lord removed him with a sign of the cross and the Devil was sucked into the rock, he tried not to be imprisoned but in vain. Only the imprint remains on the rocky wall.
Now the path begins to be difficult and tests my physical abilities, the dirt path and the heat do not help me but the landscape is wonderfully beautiful and charming. In these woods, nature shines
Do you think that my guides have finished telling me about other legends? Obviously not!
Could another one be missing on Peter? They must truly be devoted to the Saint around here.
This time Peter, as the Guardian of Paradise, is facing the entrance of the heavens the sergeant slapped Jesus in front of the High Priest Caiaphas after his arrest. Peter was a saint but had a fiery character, took the unfortunate for the ear (although the sergeant had sincerely repented of his gesture) and imprisoned him inside the monolith, uttering the following words:
Since then the evil sergeant runs up and down the rocky room, hitting the walls violently, screaming for pain. Anyone, even today, being in the immediate vicinity of Pietra Cappa on particularly windy days, can testify that from inside there are distinctly loud pops with loud and excruciating cries.
The path becomes more and more difficult, we need a pause to refresh ourselves and then leave again. Along the way we see a "Jazzo" (typical enclosures for sheep built by shepherds), hidden among spectacular chestnut trees, also called "Giants Giants". These trees surrounded the Monastery of San Giorgio (or at least what remains of it)
Just as we are about to approach the end of the path, I am told that the monolith also has a role in the Mystery of the Knights Templar.
The nearby town of Reggio Calabria was home to the Legio_X_Fretensis (I ignored the story), created by Ottaviano to fight Sesto Pompeo during the "Bellum Siculum" for the control of Sicily (granary essential for Rome)
The Legio took the numerical tithe in honor of the legendary tenth legion that ithad validly fought with Caesar in Gaul and its name of Fretensis from Fretum Siculum, the ancient name of the Strait of Messina.
The X was made up of soldiers coming from the area of the Strait of Messina and mainly from the Municipality of Regium and they had as a symbol the Verro or the Trireme. It was sent to Judea under the command of Pontius Pilate. It is thought that it was the Legion who crucified Jesus and stole the treasures of the Temple of Jerusalem. Seniors say that Longinus (the soldier pierced Jesus with his spear) was a representative of this legion. Many of Longino's comrades came from this garrison and gave rise to the Knights of Malta, along with the monks who founded the order of Zion.
Precisely the monks ,on Mount Cappa, had the detection of the Grail. And here, in the mysterious ramifications of the great rock (which would come even in the bowels of the earth), the Knights of the Temple would have been established, and later hidden, making the "Queen of the Aspromonte" even more enigmatic and fascinating.
Attention: the trekking route is for expert hikers.
How to get
From Bovalino, on the south side,leave the S.S. 106 and enter the S.P. 112 Bis (crossroads for Natile -Plati - Bagnara).
Once in Natile Nuovo at the junction follow the sign for Platì, after about 400 meters you will find, on the left, the junction for Natile Superiore, follow this road for 4 km.,
After passing the narrow street of the village, you it follows the only semi-cemented road that climbs towards the mountain. After the soccer field a little further on the right there is a fountain where it is possible to refuel. Follow the road for about 2 km.
While we continue to walk on the trekking route (oh I forgot ... we are inside the Aspromonte natural park) reserved for experienced hikers (about 7 hours of route and a beautiful gradient) our travel companions continue to tell legends on the spot.
This is the one I liked the most, perhaps because they told it to me just when I could see a humanoid shape in the rock.
Now the path begins to be difficult and tests my physical abilities, the dirt path and the heat do not help me but the landscape is wonderfully beautiful and charming. In these woods, nature shines
Do you think that my guides have finished telling me about other legends? Obviously not!
Could another one be missing on Peter? They must truly be devoted to the Saint around here.
This time Peter, as the Guardian of Paradise, is facing the entrance of the heavens the sergeant slapped Jesus in front of the High Priest Caiaphas after his arrest. Peter was a saint but had a fiery character, took the unfortunate for the ear (although the sergeant had sincerely repented of his gesture) and imprisoned him inside the monolith, uttering the following words:
"Until the day of judgment you will run back and forth in this big room, slapping the walls, so you will always remember the one given to the Lord"
Since then the evil sergeant runs up and down the rocky room, hitting the walls violently, screaming for pain. Anyone, even today, being in the immediate vicinity of Pietra Cappa on particularly windy days, can testify that from inside there are distinctly loud pops with loud and excruciating cries.
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| Monastery pic by Giancarlo Parisi |
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| Monastery pic by Giancarlo Parisi |
Just as we are about to approach the end of the path, I am told that the monolith also has a role in the Mystery of the Knights Templar.
The Legio took the numerical tithe in honor of the legendary tenth legion that ithad validly fought with Caesar in Gaul and its name of Fretensis from Fretum Siculum, the ancient name of the Strait of Messina.
The X was made up of soldiers coming from the area of the Strait of Messina and mainly from the Municipality of Regium and they had as a symbol the Verro or the Trireme. It was sent to Judea under the command of Pontius Pilate. It is thought that it was the Legion who crucified Jesus and stole the treasures of the Temple of Jerusalem. Seniors say that Longinus (the soldier pierced Jesus with his spear) was a representative of this legion. Many of Longino's comrades came from this garrison and gave rise to the Knights of Malta, along with the monks who founded the order of Zion.
Precisely the monks ,on Mount Cappa, had the detection of the Grail. And here, in the mysterious ramifications of the great rock (which would come even in the bowels of the earth), the Knights of the Temple would have been established, and later hidden, making the "Queen of the Aspromonte" even more enigmatic and fascinating.
Attention: the trekking route is for expert hikers.
How to get
From Bovalino, on the south side,leave the S.S. 106 and enter the S.P. 112 Bis (crossroads for Natile -Plati - Bagnara).
Once in Natile Nuovo at the junction follow the sign for Platì, after about 400 meters you will find, on the left, the junction for Natile Superiore, follow this road for 4 km.,
After passing the narrow street of the village, you it follows the only semi-cemented road that climbs towards the mountain. After the soccer field a little further on the right there is a fountain where it is possible to refuel. Follow the road for about 2 km.
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