Grimaldi is a characteristic Calabrian village, located in the province of Cosenza. Rich in culture and traditions, it is undoubtedly one of the most interesting municipalities in the Savuto Valley, the territory to which it belongs. Its historic center, which extends along an area called "Chiata" is a true treasure trove of beauty. In it rise the noble palaces and churches, which have always represented the added value of this town. All restored in recent decades, they are small architectural masterpieces, rich in decorations and works of art.
A bit of history
There is no certain information about Grimaldi and its territory until the 600th century AD It has been written that the Grimaldesi descended from the Etruscans, the Greeks or the Carthaginians and that the origins of the town were even to be identified in ancient Pandosia. Others did not want to exclude that it was the Lombards who gave life to Grimaldi when, coming from the newly conquered Benevento lands, they went south. However, it is certain that the name must refer to Grimoaldo I (Grimoaldus), Duke of Benevento and King of the Lombards (Cividale del Friuli, about 671 - Pavia, 27 AD). Destroyed by the earthquake of March 1638, 800, Saturday of the Palms, the first Grimaldi (which stood on the cliff), was rebuilt approximately XNUMX meters from the ruins of the ancient town.
A cross in the "Chiata"
Grimaldi was rebuilt in the “Chiata”. The survivors of the earthquake of 1638 settled here and built the new residential nucleus. The reconstruction took place around the "church" of Santo Stefano, which after 1641 was dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, and around the Mother Church and the adjacent square. Originally, the town had the shape of a cross, which was subsequently modified by new buildings.
The country of coats of arms
In Grimaldi you can admire the magnificent tuff portals of the ancient noble palaces, built by local workers. On them stand the coats of arms, carved in stone and identifying the different families. The large finely carved doors are embellished with original artistic and decorative doors. On some of the oldest buildings in the village there are clear signs of the past, such as the so-called "mere", that is, the loopholes, usually horizontal and elongated in shape, which were used to defend themselves from the assailants and to hit any enemies to death. The squares, where social, religious, cultural and commercial life took place, still retain great charm today. Named after illustrious citizens of this country, the squares are places of memory, where the past has left indelible traces.
Palazzo Sacchetti-Nigro and the Savuto Museum of rural civilization
One of the most important buildings of Grimaldi is, without doubt, Palazzo Sacchetti, later Nigro. Municipal seat since 2005, it houses the Savuto Museum of Rural Civilization, open to the public on 11 August 2011. The four communicating rooms, intended for it, house precious objects belonging to the past, linked to the art of weaving, to the work of the land and to pasture, to the work of artisans, to daily life. Furthermore, in the first room there is an interesting photographic exhibition, dating back to the first twenty years of the 900s, but above all snapshots of the “itinerant” photographer Luigi Montera, a native of the nearby town of Malito.
The churches and the Marian devotion
In Grimaldi there are numerous churches: the mother church, dedicated to the apostles Peter and Paul, dating back to 1638; the church of the Immaculate Conception, built around 1641; the Convent of Saint Anthony of Padua, formerly known as the Holy Spirit, dating back to 1576; the small churches of the Foce and of the Cona and those of the hamlets Vasciuta and San Lorenzo. In the church of the Concezione, in particular, there is a beautiful statue of the Madonna, which is carried in procession every year on the third Sunday of May. The sculpture, in olive wood, represents a young Virgin. 'A Madonna' and Majiu (Our Lady of May), as she is called, is for the Grimaldesi the protector to whom they can rely at any time. The deep devotion to the Immaculate Conception has ancient origins, and still remains firmly in the community today.
The monastic complex dedicated to Sant'Antonio da Padova
Grimaldi enjoys many treasures, but the Convent dedicated to the saint of Padua certainly stands out among them. Made at the behest of Fra 'Desiderio Saccomanno, when the town still stood on the cliff, inside it houses works of great artistic value. Examples are the mosaic flooring, the precious baroque wooden carvings, the statues, the paintings, whose beauty has reappeared thanks to the restoration that was completed in 2008. Among the most interesting works of art, there are the Ecce Wooden homo that stands out in the apse and a statue of the Addolorata, whose eyes seem human.
At the foot of Mount Santa Lucerna
Grimaldi lies on the slopes of the majestic Monte Santa Lucerna (1.256 meters above sea level). Around it hover ancient Lombard legends that envelop it in a spiral of charm and mystery. A favorite destination for those who love contact with nature, the mountain, which extends for about four thousand hectares and also affects other municipalities, offers enchanting landscapes and allows its visitors to admire the Tyrrhenian Sea, to the west, and the coast of Sicily (when the climate is favorable, Stromboli can be clearly seen). In some areas, the relief is rocky and devoid of vegetation, in others it is covered by a thick green mantle. Grimaldi is this and much more. A country that deserves to be valued and known. A small treasure of Calabria, this land so beautiful, but often forgotten.
(Photo Antonietta Malito)
