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| The Sanctuary at Paola. |
Paola is what the English call a railway junction or
terminus town which means that if you are travelling down the west coast of
Calabria by regional trains you will more than likely have to change trains
here to continue your journey South down the coast or East and inland to the
likes of Cosenza and Lamezia Terme.
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| Centro storico Paola. |
Ask anyone of my age who like I was forced, or even those
who went willingly to Sunday school where Saint Francis came from and the
answer would be Assisi. This is probably because he is the Patron Saint of
animals and families amongst many more. So the poster of the saint on the
classroom wall surrounded by rabbits and deer and all the cutest animals imaginable
remains permanently in a person’s mind.
But ask anyone from Calabria the same question and the
answer would be a resounding Paola because after all he is the Patron saint of
this region of Italy. Two different men but the one thing they have in common
is that although both are always depicted wearing religious clothing neither was
ever ordained as priests.
Paola train station is on the marina and a mere five minute
walk to the beach and as in the rest of Calabria during the summer season you
would be spoilt for choice of lido’s and beach bars. To reach the town itself
takes a little longer and entails climbing what we have named ‘the thousand
steps,’ a wide stairway which takes you up the cliff face into centro storico.
We’ve never counted these steps and we know there probably aren’t a thousand,
but on a hot summer’s day when climbing them it feels as if there are, note the
ramps either side of the steps built originally for beasts of burden.
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| The 1000 steps |
Being only a forty nine minute train journey from our home
in Scalea our main day for visiting Paola is Sundays, as at the top of these
steps is the start of the once weekly market which stretches up the side of the
lower town and into the main piazza which is well equipped with bars and cafes
to rest at after the arduous task of Italian market shopping. I have to say I am
no fan of today’s clothing and household goods markets that are staged weekly
in all Italian cities, as the larger percentage of the items are made in the
people’s republic of China and can be purchased anywhere throughout Europe.
Standing at six feet one and weighing over ninety kilos I am a giant compared
to the average Calabrese, and as these markets stock only for the locals
finding clothes in my own size becomes a problem, thankfully t-shirts bearing
the Union Jack or the Stars and Stripes are not in my realm of fashion.
As the market winds up the streets we turn left at the first
opportunity, this now takes you to the part of the market I have come for, ‘the
food.’ Attracting marketers and local growers alike this part of the market
supplies the very best of the areas fruit, vegetables and local produce. For
those of you that prefer to avoid the clothes market and get straight to the
fresh produce there is a convenient shady park walkway that follows up the back
of the market stalls. Sadly I have to follow Kathryn through the clothes and ‘sparkly’
market but at times can still get a short respite by occasionally sneaking down
the side of the stalls to this peaceful refuge.
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| The start of centro storico. |
At the top of the hill you find yourself at the start of
centro storico and like all the old towns a sightseeing meander through the
streets is worth the effort, noting how Saint Francis plays a big part in the
town’s churches, piazzas and artwork. Two slightly disappointing aspects of the
town are the castle and ancient aqueduct. The castle like many down this coast
stands proudly above the town but is slightly decaying and not accessible to
the public, while the aqueduct has been shored up by ugly scaffolding for a
number of years and its worth as a site to be photographed is marred by a
high-rise apartment block built beside it.
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| The sanctuary of Saint Francis |
A short distance out of the town is the Sanctuary of Saint
Francis (1416-1507) which is the main reason many visitors and pilgrims come to
Paola. Travelling by car down the main SS18 roadway the sanctuary is visibly
signposted, and from the railway station it is a short taxi or bus ride.
The sanctuary which is still a working monastery is situated
half way up a hill and is surrounded by beautiful well maintained gardens. A
river of many waterfalls flows between and divides the sanctuary into two
parts. Accessible by a bridge of two stories on the opposite bank the buildings
are rooms and schools of the monks and are not open to the public.
The chapels and church on this side of the gorge tell their
own story as you walk around the cloisters and down into the hermit cave and
priest cell carved out of solid rock. Many of the miracles acclaimed to Saint
Francis were carried out in the vicinity of the sanctuary, like the miracle of
the falling rock, the miracle of the oven and that of the water spring brought
forth by Saint Francis tapping a rock with his staff, all these sites are found
as you walk around the area.
Behind the old buildings of the monastery a modern meeting
hall has been built. No expense has been spared on this modern building with
its highly polished wooden pews and stained glass ceiling a friend once likened
it to walking into a kaleidoscope of coloured light.
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| The modern meeting hall. |
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