Badolato (province of Catanzaro) is a borgo of medieval origins at 240m altitude on a hill dominating the valley of river Gallipari, overlooking the Ionian Sea on one side and the Apennine high plateau of Serre Calabresi on the other. It was founded as a defensive outpost in 1080 by Robert Guiscard as the 12th century encircling walls and castle attest. The original fortification is still evident in the ruins of the ancient entrance gates and the Byzantine layout with numerous churches and alleyways winding in concentric circles, convergent to the slope where the castle once stood. Terraced houses in bricks of local clay with doors and windows in chestnut wood give the borgo the look of a real-life nativity scene.
Beyond the Eastern gate of the village, the Church of the Immaculate Conception stands in a panoramic position on a hill, at 250m; its building began in 1686. It has a granite portal and was decorated by local and Neapolitan artists. On a hill facing the borgo, the Franciscan Convent of St. Mary of the Angels was built in 1603 and houses a wooden crucifix and elaborate hanging pulpit, both from the 1700s.
Fondazione Calabria Film Commission
Cittadella Regione Calabria — Località Germaneto — 88100 Catanzaro
Phone: +39 0961 853836
Email: info@calabriafilmcommission.it
