- Ardore - Bombile - Santuario della Madonna della
Grotta - Condojanni
88 km from Reggio (14 km from Siderno; 45 km from Monasterace Marina),
following the SS106 north, there is Ardore Marina, going into the inner
land, about 6km in, there is the ancient village of Ardore. The foundation of
the centre goes back to the prehistorical time, and was then colonised by the
greeks and romans to become a feudal land. In the historical centre there is the
castle, of the 600’, with a square base. Originally at its corners, there were
four towers, two cilindrical and two square.
Going back onto the SS106 and keeping north, after 2 km the road goes back up
into the inner side to get to the village of Bombile. Passed the town
centre there is the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Grotta. To get to the unique
temple there are 145 steps, through which is possible to get to the grotto that
is digged into the sandy part of a perpendicular wall, that caved in in May
2004, luckily without any damage to the interior. It was friar Jacopo da Tropea,
augustinian hermit, to begin it in 1507 , as he wanted to cave a grotto where he
could retire to meditate. The church was built and consacrated in 1525, and
inside it was brought a statue of the Madonna with the Baby, a white Carrara
marble opera by the Gagini school that is still there today. The festival
dedicated to the sanctuary is on the 3rd of May, when, during the pre and post
procession restoration moments, is possible to sample the “Pitta di Maju”,
typical filled bun.
Going onto the S.Ilario road and into the inner land for 6 km, after passing
Sant’Ilario dello Ionio, there is Condojanni, a village stuck on top of a
rocky spur, where are still visible the remains of the walls of an ancient
castle and the ruins of the Dominican convent with, beside it, the Santa Maria
della Pietà.
|