Scilla: A Walk in Chianalea at Dusk

Via Grotte

In the meantime, we have entered Via Grotte. Those who live here do not reach home by road and car, but by sea and boat. And the boat is moored right below the front door. Children play in the street. At this hour there are few people around, and they take advantage of it to race their bicycles down the sloping lane. “Coming through! Coming through!” More than once, we find ourselves pressed flat against the walls to make room: Vespas pass by, electric bikes pass by, and so do the curious Ape taxis, fearlessly taking on slopes, corners and hairpin bends.

At the crossroads

We have reached a meeting point in this microcosm. There is a large noble residence, Palazzo Scategna, overlooking the sea and the old landing place, “U scàru”. Here, among the boats, the view opens out onto the sea. And you can smell the sea, mingled with the aromas from the kitchens of the many small restaurants on stilts. Here Via Grotte joins the famous Via Annunziata, while another little street, Via Zagarì, climbs back up towards Ruffo Castle. We will explore it on the way back.

Via Annunziata

Via Annunziata is a procession of little shops and small eateries, with equally small tables lined up along the street. At number 15, a white-haired shopkeeper, who looks as if he returned from Woodstock only yesterday, entertains customers by talking about ethnic clothing, local history, philosophy… His brightly coloured shop is dotted with pearls of wisdom and certainly does not go unnoticed! Here too, the little houses are narrow, weathered by sea salt and time; between one and the next, stone steps descend to the sea, to the colourful moored boats, to blue glimpses of great poetry. The sea sparkles, laps the rocks and sings.

The fountains of Chianalea

Towards the end of Via Annunziata, the shops become fewer, and the houses on the sea side grow more austere, more authentic, with laundry hanging from the balconies and pergolas of bougainvillea. On the other side rises the wall of the viaduct where the railway once ran, and beneath its great arches other small Wonders are hidden. For example, the sixteenth-century fountain of the Ruffo di Calabria family is right here, sheltered beneath an arch, slightly tucked away. And just three steps later, here is another fountain, the Canatello fountain, with a musical thread of water flowing down in the shade, cool and refreshing.

The little church of San Giuseppe

And finally, after passing a small castle dating from 1933, theatrical and unexpected in a fishing village, here is our destination: the little church of San Giuseppe, with a green bell at the top of a tiny bell tower. Instead of a roof, this little church has a terrace… And with a view like this, it suits it perfectly!

At the end of Via Annunziata

We go a little further and reach the end of Via Annunziata. With our eyes full of beauty, we look at a wall mosaic in the colours of the sea. Unconsciously, we expect a theme of peace, but instead the scene tells of a beautiful and terrible mermaid, armed with a harpoon and surrounded by fish-soldiers. A mermaid who slaughters men… Across the road, an arch of the overpass frames a bucolic, almost prehistoric scene, with shady branches, rocks and a tall little waterfall. We continue a little further until we come in sight of a small beach lit by the last sun. And we sit down to contemplate the sea.