May 6, 2019
In Diamante: a photo gallery
I think I was least certain about coming to Calabria of any region we’ll visit on this tour. Partly it’s because we’ve previously visited at least parts of all the other regions we’ll travel through, but also because it seems relatively unknown to us Americans. People just don’t seem to make it down south in any numbers and by any means, so you don’t really know what to expect.
We’ve been completely amazed so far. We stayed in Scilla for a night, and were charmed and a bit stunned by its beauty. Tropea is incredible, perched high above the sea on its granite mountain. Amantea was even more unexpected, and a wonderful place to experience. Three towns, all outstanding, all utterly unique, all quiet and unspoiled.
And now Diamante, the coastal town I was probably least interested in seeing. We’re here mostly due to logistics - it’s a good day’s ride from Amantea, and a good launch point for our next stage of the tour, crossing the narrow foot of Italy through the mountainous interior. I’d really rather have stayed a bit further north in Scalea actually, which has a fine reputation and a bit more written about it; but the logistics were wrong for us.
Diamante is incredible too - at least the small part of it we saw in our short stay here. Right behind our hotel is what I assume must be the oldest part of town - the usual rats nest of narrow, crooked alleys and staircases where every turn brings a surprise. It’s not like any other place we’ve ever seen though, and wonderful in its own special way - another town you couldn’t confuse with anywhere else on earth.
First, there is the quality of the lanes. They have a clean, bright, well-lit feeling. The scalloped pattern of the lanes is attractive, they look well cared for, unlittered, pedestrianized (of course; how could cars get through here?) and quiet (of course; who comes to Diamante after all, or has even heard of it?). Above all though is the astonishing gallery of murals that brighten up the walls wherever you look.
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We didn’t see this part of town first though - we saw the waterfront promenade first, which passes just in front of our hotel. I have never seen a seaside promenade that feels as attractive as this one. Again, like the alleys, it’s clean and fresh, with a lovely tile pattern that spreads in front of you for what feels like about a quarter mile. It is lovely to walk along from one end to the other, looking up and down the coast and below to the incredible sea. Today, it feels like I could walk this promenade every evening of my life and not tire of it.
This being Italy, I imagine there are some fine churches here. The only one we came across though was the small Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception, buried in the alleys of the old town. It looks attractive from the outside, but you can’t really get a good sightline on it because the streets are so narrow. It’s certainly attractive enough inside.
The murals really are striking though. Diamante’s nickname is Citadel dei Murales (and of peperoncinos - there is a huge peperoncino festival here in September), and there must be a hundred murals brightening up these narrow alleys. So many of them are interesting, but here’s just a sampling:
At the end of the day, we went back down to the water again, to watch the waves while we waited for dinner. You really can’t take your eyes off the sea here, at least not on such a stormy day as today.
Calabria. Oh, my gosh. We’ll have to come back.
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