Ricadi is a small rural town, as well as a municipality, located along the Tyrrhenian

Tyrrhenian

Tyrrhenian may refer to the:* Tyrrhenian Stage, a faunal stage from 0.26 to 0.01143 million years ago* Tyrrhenians, an ancient ethnonym associated variously with Pelasgians, Etruscans or Lemnians* Tyrrhenian Sea* Tyrrhenian languages...

 coast, in the province of Vibo Valentia

Province of Vibo Valentia

The Province of Vibo Valentia is a province in the Calabria region of Italy, set up by a national law of 6 March 1992 which came into effect on 1 January 1996, and formerly part of the Province of Catanzaro...

), in the Italian

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 region of Calabria

Calabria

Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....

.

Boundaries

The municipality of Ricadi is located between the gulfs of Lamezia Terme

Lamezia Terme

Lamezia Terme, commonly named Lamezia, is an Italian city of 71,287 inhabitants in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region.-Geography:...

 (Catanzaro district) and Gioia Tauro

Gioia Tauro

Gioia Tauro is a comune in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria , on the Tyrrhenian coast. It has an important port, situated along the route connecting Suez to Gibraltar, one of the busiest maritime corridors in the world....

 (Reggio Calabria district). Capo Vaticano lies between these two gulfs.
The Tyrrhenian sea touches Ricadi to the West (about 12 kilometres of coasts).

Winds

The following winds blow along the coast of Ricadi:

• the Scirocco
  Sirocco
  Sirocco, scirocco, , jugo or, rarely, siroc is a Mediterranean wind that comes from the Sahara and reaches hurricane speeds in North Africa and Southern Europe. It is known in North Africa by the Arabic word qibli or ghibli Sirocco, scirocco, , jugo or, rarely, siroc is a Mediterranean wind...
  
  , a hot, dry wind originating in the Sahara desert (it blows from the South-East);
• the Libeccio
  Libeccio
  The libeccio is the westerly or south-westerly wind which predominates in northern Corsica all year round; it frequently raises high seas and may give violent westerly squalls. In summer it is most persistent, but in winter it alternates with the Tramontane...
  
  , a humid westerly wind which frequently makes the sea rough and may form violent westerly squalls. It may prove very dangerous for shippers and water sport enthusiasts;
• the Mistral
  Mistral
  Mistral commonly refers to the Mistral in southern France and SardiniaMistral may also refer to:* Mistral, various ships of the French Navy, including:** Mistral class amphibious assault ship of the French Navy...
  
  , a dry cold northerly wind which blows in winter.

Main distances

City	Distance (km)
Tropea Tropea Tropea is a municipality located within the province of Vibo Valentia, in Calabria .The town is a famous bathing place, situated on a reef, in the gulf of St...	10
Vibo Valentia Vibo Valentia Vibo Valentia is a city and comune in the Calabria region of southern Italy, near the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital of the province of Vibo Valentia, and is an agricultural, commercial and tourist center . There are also several large manufacturing industries, including the tuna district of...	27
Gioia Tauro Gioia Tauro Gioia Tauro is a comune in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria , on the Tyrrhenian coast. It has an important port, situated along the route connecting Suez to Gibraltar, one of the busiest maritime corridors in the world....	40
Lamezia Terme Lamezia Terme Lamezia Terme, commonly named Lamezia, is an Italian city of 71,287 inhabitants in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region.-Geography:...	72
Messina	91
Catanzaro	97
Reggio Calabria Reggio Calabria Reggio di Calabria , commonly known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio, is the biggest city and the most populated comune of Calabria, southern Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Reggio Calabria and seat of the Council of Calabrian government.Reggio is located on the "toe" of the Italian...	98
Cosenza Cosenza Cosenza is a city in southern Italy, located at the confluence of two historic rivers: the Busento and the Crathis. The municipal population is of around 70,000; the urban area, however, counts over 260,000 inhabitants...	127
Crotone Crotone Crotone is a city and comune in Calabria, southern Italy, on the Ionian Sea. Founded circa 710 BC as the Achaean colony of Croton , it was known as Cotrone from the Middle Ages until 1928, when its name was changed to the current one. In 1994 it became the capital of the newly established...	166
Catania Catania Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...	187
Bari Bari Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...	398
Naples Naples Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...	436
Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...	646
Milan Milan Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...	1,193

Maps

History

The origins of Ricadi are unknown. According to legend, it was probably founded at the time of the Saracen invasions, during or after the 10th century. By this time, the Saracens had settled around Rombiolo.
Ricadi appears to have been almost reduced to rubble by the earthquake which struck towards the end of the 18th century, it was also heavily damaged by the one which struck at the beginning of the 20th century.
The place-name 'Ricade' or 'Rigade' appeared for the first time in the 16th and 17th centuries, and suggests a derivation from the surname 'Riga' or 'Rigà', which was quite surname in Calabria.

Over the centuries Ricadi has been populated by Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Normans: they built and blasted road and defensive infrastructures (roads, bridges, towers defending coasts and rivers). Many archaeological discoveries are still visible; others are well protected, being houses in the National Museum of Reggio Calabria

Reggio Calabria

Reggio di Calabria , commonly known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio, is the biggest city and the most populated comune of Calabria, southern Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Reggio Calabria and seat of the Council of Calabrian government.Reggio is located on the "toe" of the Italian...

.

For a time, Ricadi was ancillary to the town of Tropea. In 1799 the Ricadesi obtained their independence thanks to Championnet, a French general who conquered the Kingdom of Naples (which Ricadi was formerly part of).

Ricadi became a municipality of the Monteleone district (now Vibo Valentia

Vibo Valentia

Vibo Valentia is a city and comune in the Calabria region of southern Italy, near the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital of the province of Vibo Valentia, and is an agricultural, commercial and tourist center . There are also several large manufacturing industries, including the tuna district of...

), belonging to Calabria Ulteriore, because of a rule set in 1811.

Before becoming one of the main tourist detatinations of the lower Tyrrhennian Sea, Grotticelle was populated by people who lived on agriculture and fishing. By the mid '80s, this place became one of the main economic driving force of the overall economy of Ricadi. Thanks to tourism, over the past decades, incomes and living standards have increasingly improved for local inhabitants (according to some, the per capita income of the little town is one of the highest in Calabria

Calabria

Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....

).

Near Grotticelle hundreds of tourist structures have been built: these include camping-sites, tourist villages located near the sea, 2 to 5 star hotels, residences and farm holidays located in the hills.

Culture

"The Farming Museum", Museo d’Arte Contadina, opened to the public in May 1992. The collection, made up by near to 500 finds, shows variety rudimentary farming machinery, tools to process local crops such as flax and broom fibre, and terracotta ware. Housed by the ‘Giuseppe Berto’ Conference Centre, the collection is on permanent display.

Events

• "Giuseppe Berto Literary Prize", Premio Letterario Giuseppe Berto. The writer Giuseppe Berto was born in Mogliano Veneto, but made Capo Vaticano his second home. The Prize is awarded every June, in Ricadi and Mogliano Veneto on alternative years. The 2003 edition marked a turning point, since the prize was divided into two separate categories: the historical one to be awarded to an emerging writer, and a new category focusing on foreign fiction. The latter prize is awarded to a living author whose work has been published in Italian.
• "Capo Vaticano Sporting Prize", Premio Sportivo Capo Vaticano, every year in September. Established in 1987, the Capo Vaticano Sporting Prize has the objective of recognizing and promoting the educational value of football, as well as uniting all those who are fond of Calabria. It is awarded to Italian referees, footballers and journalists of regional and national renown.
• "Red Onion Festival", La Sagra della Cipolla Rossa: every year on 13th of August. The festival starts in the mid-afternoon with a variety of games are played in Piazza Marconi, the main square of the village:

The traditional ‘Pignata’ Tournament in which the contestants are blindfolded and, helped by bystanders, use a long wooden stick to break one or more pignatas, or terra-cotta pots, which are suspended from a string. Pignatas are sometimes filled with water.
The ‘Bumbuleju’ Race is for women of all ages. Contestants … race from one end of the square to the other, carrying the terra-cotta pot on their heads without using their hands.
Other games include the Egg Race, the Sack Race, the Mini-marathon, the Onion Race, the Cheese-rolling tournament;
Typical onion-dish sampling starts at dinner time.
At exactly midnight the ‘Camejuzzu i Focu’ dance is performed. The traditional fireworks display closes the festival.

• "Ice-Cream Festival": each summer, in July.

Festivities

• Religious Festivities are solemnized in honor of Saint Zaccaria (the Patron Saint - on 5 November); Saint Biagio (on 3 February), Saint Antonio from Padua (on 13 June); Saint Domenica (on 6 July); Virgin Mary of Graces (on 15 August).

Associations

• "Friends of Giuseppe Berto" (the panel of judges for the literary prize)
• "Noi di Ricadi" (people from Ricadi - editorial staff of Terra Nostra newspaper)

Agriculture

Cipolla Rossa di Tropea, famous red onions from Tropea, are grown all along the coast. They are then processed and shipped throughout Italy, northern Europe, and elsewhere. In addition, vegetables, citruses (oranges, lemons, bergamots) and ‘nduja, a salami made from seasoned pork and red hot pepper, are produced;

Tourism

The three bays of Grotticelle ("little caves") are the most famous and most evocative bathing places of the municipality of Ricadi, in Calabria

Calabria

Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....

 and they are linked with Capo Vaticano

Capo Vaticano

Capo Vaticano is a wide bathing place in the Municipality of Ricadi in Calabria, Italy. The 'Cape' is formed by a particular white-gray granite, which is examined worldwide for its geologic characteristics.-Geography:...

(Cape Vatican). Smaller, more remote and evocative beaches can be reached from Grotticelle.

External links

• News on Ricadi (in Italian)