Welcome to Campanaelefante.com, the first Web Portal about Campana

Foreword to this Web Portal

Many will wonder, why the reference to an elephant in the name of this portal. Well, the old blog was created to give space to a debate on their theories and research on the Incavallicata, his rock and his elephant. This is just one of many reasons. The other, more significant is, what today the rock dose aim symbolically. While today is being debated on the question of its origins, the rock is not only a monument of stone and does not aim only as a site of geological and archaeological value, but as a moral guide and cultural symbol of renewal and hope for a better future for Campana.. That's why the synonym Campanaelefante. The elephant will be a voice in the silence. A tower in the storm of the culture of our little town. The portal itself has chosen an apolitical position. "Apolitical" is a definition and an ambiguous term that can be misunderstood by many. What is meant by "apolitical"? You mean by this, to avoid polemics, political comments, insults and whatever, to avoid references to the right or left factions, to avoid names and surnames, only expressing their philosophy and their moral complaint after a series of reflections . It is understood also that if some topics in this portal touches the field of politics, discussed by users, the portal itself not sided with any faction and political philosophy and not be exploited politically and for propaganda for others comfortable. We prefer the moral and philosophical complaint, rather than politics. The users are free to discuss about politic and about what they want ... while the Portal and the author himself will be only an observer.

This web portal at first, aims to disseminate knowledge and, above all, to open new horizons and a wide-ranging debate on the roots of historical and cultural of Campana, its memory, its human heritage, cultural and moral. Another purpose is to "stimulate the people of Campana to return to love passionately, ethical and civic of their own land," making a breakthrough in melancholy that afflicts the resignation of their souls.

 

In this site is also a great forum where you can express your opinions, read the articles about problems of our town, view photos and videos of Campana and its people. There are columns about books, culture, arts, news, weather and our football team. All that makes your visit even more interesting. If you are searching around for sources of information, for your next trip and vacation in Campana and Calabria... we are sorry, but for the moment all articles are written in Italian. But please give a look at the photo gallery of this Web Site, using it as a kind of travel guide.

 

Come visit our little town Campana (CS). Campana is a town and “comune” in the province of Cosenza, in Calabria, region of Southern Italy. The town of Campana is an agricultural and farming center, which sits on a promontory, in the Sila Mountains, in the middle of canyons and woods, and is approximately 35 minutes driving from the Ionian coast and 30 minutes from the National Park. The old part of the town, what most tourists come to see, spills on to an indented promotory jutting out into the canyon, which commands a fine view over the hills around Campana. A great place to keep a look out, as the byzantine vay (via bizantina) and the rest of the Hall (Porta della Trinità) suggests, although it did stop the Saracens eventual conquest. Tourism in Campana has increased over the years. The main tourist draws in Campana are the mountains, the rock of the elephant "Incavallicata" and the canyon. The flora and fauna around Campana are intact, and there is a good level of tourist accommodation for picnic. The primary mountain tourist draws is La Sila (Sila Mountains), with its national park and lakes (Lago Cecita). Some other prominent destinations include the old farming fair (Fiera della Ronza) in June, which does exist since the 16th Century. In addition, in August the Celebration of the holy patron S. Domenico di Guzman and the Madonna S. S. di Costantinopoli.

 

History

Its name in ancient times, was Kalasarna and derives from the Greek for 'town on the rock', although it seems to has been inhabited since Neolithic times. At the beginnig of the 1st century, during the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Strabo, the geograph, has furnished arguments to the settlement of Kalasarna, in his manuscripts and historical maps. After the fall of the Roman Empire, in the middle of the 6th century, the territory of Kalasarna was devastated during the Gothic War, before it came under the rule of a local dux for the Byzantine Empire. In fact, after the war it was occupied by the Byzantines. Towards the end of the 7th century, the Saracens invasion forced the people from Ionian coast and low-lying areas, to take refuge in Kalasarna. The Saracens, the  Mediterranean pirates, were famous for terrorizing coastal towns along Italy's sea. Kalasarna efforts to contribute to the own defense with local urban militia.The organized militia has been commanded by the byzantine “Tagmata” meaning “army”. Urban armies played a decreasing role in Southern Italy during these centuries. Local defence in the Byzantine provinces had largely been the responsability of local militias and several of these transferred their allegiance to the Normans, helping them expel the Byzantine garrisons. The Normans were content to leave some citadels and fortified gates under the control of the local citizens, Kalasarna being one example.

 

In 1064 AD Guiscard’s (Altavilla clan) norman forces took the empire’s last South Italian base, Bari, the Byzantine power was no more and Kalasarna was occupied by the Normans. Under the Normans the little settlement became a fortified town with a stone wall, a bridge, five towers and a big alarm bell. In fact, thanks to the bell, the town was given the new name ”Campana”, meaning in english “bell” or the other name “land of bell”. From that moment on, that was the new name given to the town and so it is today. During the Norman period most of the Byzantine institutions were reformed in the Latin rite. The Altavilla clan later formed the precursors of the Kingdom of Naples (Regno delle Due Sicilie), which ruled Campana until the unification of Italy in 1860. Campana itself came under many rulers: the Habsburg dynasties of both Spain and the Franco-Spanish Bourbon dynasty, Napoleon's brother Joseph Bonaparte, and then French Marshal Joachim Murat. In 1860, when the Kingdom of Naples  was brought into the union by the troups of the Kingdom of Piemont, Campana and the Sila Mountains experienced a series of peasant revolts, which was called the revolts of the “Briganti”. Until recently, Calabria was among the poorest regions of Italy and also Campana, impoverished was a main source for the Italian diaspora of the end of  19th Century. The people of Campana moved to the industrial centres of Northern Italy, the rest of Europe, Australia and especially to the United States, Canada, Argentina and Brazil. Today, there is increased affluence and a much improved economy based on modern agriculture, tourism, and a growing commercial base.

 

Language

The official language of Campana has been standard Italian since unification in 1861, but historical languages have left an imprint on the little town. The dialect of Campana is composed by two different language groups, which are considered as  dialects of the Neapolitan language and Sicilian language. In the period after the Gothic War cames the Greek (byzantine) influence which will during until the norman invasion by Robert Guiscard in the 11th century. Since Campana (as other parts of Calabria) were once ruled by the Normans, his dialect clearly exhibit also german influences. In addition, Spanish and French has had an influence on many words of Campana.

 

Cuisine

The cuisine of Campana essentially is a typical southern Italian cuisine with a balance between meat-based dishes (pork, lamb, goat), vegetables (especially aubergine, cipolla di Tropea (red onion) and a little bit of fish (Sardella, Rosamarina, Baccalà) and fried sardines. Pasta (like in most parts of Calabria and the rest of Italy) is also very important in Campana. The people of Campana have traditionally placed an emphasis on the preservation of their food, in part because of the climate and potential crop failures. As a result, there is a tradition of packing vegetables and meats in olive oil, making sausages and cold cuts (Suppressata, Nnuja, Sazizza). The typical desserts of Campana are fried, as honey-sweetened pastries (Scadhille, Kjinudhille or Turdilli).The local specialties of cheese include the “Caciocavallo“ (casicavallu), ricotta and sciungata.The local wines are not well known outside the town of Campana. In ancient times some vinyards have origins dating back to the ancient Greek colonists.

 

Campana is waiting for Yoy 

 

Greetings to all people and friends of  Campana and good navigation in this web portal.

 

"Ad Maiora Semper"

Carmine F. Petrungaro
 
Campanaelefante.com 

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