AgroArcheoTrekking 4.0: Calici di Storia in Casignana

Belvedere Carrubo · Casignana, Costa Viola, Calabria

8 November 2026

On Sunday 8 November 2026 Casignana, in the Locride area, hosts «Calici di Storia» (Glasses of History), a stage of the AgroArcheoTrekking 4.0 project – Inclusive trails in the heart of Made in Italy. The day starts at 9am at the Belvedere Carrubo with a medium-easy historical walk past rock-cut wine presses, places linked to the 1922 events known as the Fatti di Casignana and the old village, ending at the Antiquarium Rurale. From 1pm there is a tasting of local wine and produce at Palazzo Moscatello, and at 3.30pm the day closes with a visit to the Roman Villa of Casignana and its mosaics. Prices and booking details have not been published: ask the organisers.

The programme for Sunday 8 November

«Calici di Storia» is Casignana's event within the AgroArcheoTrekking 4.0 project – Inclusive trails in the heart of Made in Italy, and it takes place on Sunday 8 November 2026. The day has three parts, with times given in the regional listing.

At 9am the group sets off from the Belvedere Carrubo on a medium-easy historical and cultural walk. From 1pm, at Palazzo Moscatello, there is a convivial break with a tasting of local wine, typical produce and traditional specialities. At 3.30pm the day ends with a visit to the Roman Villa of Casignana, the area's main archaeological site, known for its mosaics.

The route: wine presses, farming memory and the old village

The morning walk passes the palmenti rupestri, basins cut into the rock where grapes were once trodden, a sign of the long winemaking tradition of this stretch of Ionian Calabria. The route then visits places linked to the Fatti di Casignana and the peasants' struggle for land, and climbs towards the old village along Via Pergola.

The last stop is the Antiquarium Rurale, where tools, objects and personal accounts tell the story of local farming life. The length and climbing of the route are not given: the stated difficulty is medium-easy, so walking shoes, water and a basic level of fitness are enough.

The Fatti di Casignana of 1922

The walk passes places connected with one of the harshest episodes of the Calabrian peasant struggles after the First World War. On 21 September 1922 carabinieri and fascists opened fire on labourers from the «Garibaldi» cooperative, who had occupied land owned by the Prince of Roccella to demand that it be shared out. The socialist councillor Pasquale Micchia and the farmers Rosario Micò and Girolamo Panetta were killed, and the mayor, Francesco Ceravolo, was seriously wounded.

The writer Mario La Cava drew loosely on these events for his novel «I fatti di Casignana». This is the history behind the part of the route devoted to land and farm work.

The Roman Villa of Casignana

The 3.30pm visit takes you to the Roman Villa in contrada Palazzi, on the coast, on both sides of the SS106 road. Discovered by chance in 1963 during digging for an aqueduct, the villa was built in the 1st century AD and reached its peak in the 4th century, with dozens of rooms paved in mosaic and walls clad in coloured marble from different parts of the empire.

Among the best-known mosaics are the Hall of the Nereids, with female figures riding sea creatures, and the roundel of the Indian Triumph of Dionysus, showing the god on a chariot drawn by two tigers. The event listing mentions the mosaic dedicated to Bacchus, which ties the visit to the day's wine theme.

Getting to Casignana

Casignana is a small village in the Locride, on a hill about 340 metres above sea level on the eastern side of the Aspromonte, some 87 kilometres from Reggio Calabria. It is reached from the SS106 Ionian coast road: at Bianco, take the SP69 provincial road up to the village.

The nearest railway station is Bianco, on the Ionian line, served by regional trains to Reggio Calabria, Roccella Jonica and Catanzaro Lido. The programme is split between the hill village, in the morning and at lunch, and the villa on the coast in the afternoon: the sources do not say whether transport between the two is arranged, so it is best to come by car or ask the organisers.

Prices, booking and practical information

The regional listing gives no prices, booking procedure or contacts, and does not say whether the tasting and entry to the villa are included. The poster published on the regional portal comes from the page of the Pro Loco di Casignana, the local tourist association, which is the first place to ask.

For reference, in normal conditions the Roman Villa charges 5 euros (3 euros reduced) and at weekends opens only by booking for groups of at least ten people, with three days' notice. AgroArcheoTrekking is a project of EPLI, the national network of Pro Loco associations: its first edition, in 2022, organised with Promozione Italia, covered the Locride and the Greek-speaking area of the province and was launched at the Roman Villa of Casignana.

Frequently asked questions

When is «Calici di Storia» in Casignana?

On Sunday 8 November 2026: departure at 9am from the Belvedere Carrubo, tasting from 1pm at Palazzo Moscatello and a visit to the Roman Villa at 3.30pm.

How hard is the walk?

The listing rates it medium-easy. Length and climbing have not been published.

How much does it cost and how do I book?

Prices and booking details have not been published. The first contact is the Pro Loco di Casignana, which shared the poster.

What is served at Palazzo Moscatello?

Local wine, typical produce and traditional specialities, from 1pm. The exact menu has not been announced.

Where is the Roman Villa of Casignana?

In contrada Palazzi, on the coast, on both sides of the SS106. From the hill village you need to drive down towards the sea.

How do I get to Casignana?

From the SS106 Ionian road, take the SP69 at Bianco up to the village. By train, the nearest station is Bianco on the Ionian line.

What were the Fatti di Casignana?

The massacre of 21 September 1922, when carabinieri and fascists fired on labourers of the «Garibaldi» cooperative occupying the land: three people died and the mayor was seriously wounded.

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