Pentedattilo, a hamlet of Melito di Porto Salvo (province of Reggio Calabria), is a ghost village perched on the slopes of mount Calvario, 250m above sea level. Its name derives from the shape of the rock which resembles the five fingers of a very large hand.
The borgo, a labyrinth of narrow streets and stone houses with arches, studded with prickly pear plants, began to empty out in 1783 as a consequence of earthquake damage, later followed by threats of flooding and other seismic activity.
Pentedattilo has been undergoing a period of regrowth since 1980: an albergo diffuso has taken over some houses and artists and artisans have set up in the village. There are now workshops in wood, glass and ceramics in addition to a Museum of popular traditions.
The ruined medieval castle stands in the highest part of the village, some rooms still roofed and identifiable. The single-nave Church of Santi Corifei Pietro e Paolo, probably Byzantine in origin, with a Baroque bell tower and Byzantine cupola with a ceramic-plated pinnacle is well preserved.
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