Selected by Ferrero to celebrate the beautiful peninsula, theGreat Arch di San Nicola Arcella will represent Calabria for the designer limited edition of one of its iconic products: Nutella.
The spreadable cream par excellence chooses this hedonistic corner of paradise to describe the region lapped by the turquoise water and caressed by the warm breeze of the Libeccio. The pearl of the Riviera dei Cedri will be one of the thirty dresses that will wear the famous cream from October. Thus glorifying the Italian spirit with one of its most prestigious virtues: the refined culinary art.
Arco Magno: a favorite destination for privileged tourism
Undisputed queen of all the rankings built around the most evocative places in Calabria e blue flag 2020. The Arco Magno beach in San Nicola Arcella is once again confirmed as a privileged destination for those who choose the upper Tyrrhenian coast of Cosenza. A destination cherished by both tourists and travelers, the paradisiacal expanse of white sand is able to satisfy any need.
The vacationer is inebriated by the breathtaking charm that sprinkles his views and has fun among the clubs of the coast. The traveler, on the other hand, sets sail in advance of the wonderful seabed and the luxuriant vegetation that surrounds the bay. Squeezed between the grip of the nearby Scalea and Praia a Mare, the characteristic seaside village constitutes the principle of the fascinating Riviera dei Cedri.
Pearl of the Riviera dei Cedri
It represents the genesis of a stretch of coast studded with trees of cedar, the precious citrus fruit characteristic of the Mediterranean scrub. The exotic, ovate and globular fruit, which pulls anchor in Asia to launch it in the seas of the Deep South, full of essential properties. Used both in cooking and in cosmetics, the acidic citrus crosses national borders to acquire notoriety all over the world.
And its uniqueness is dear to the Jewish community, which grows one of the varieties. The Jewish cedar, similar to the Calabrian one in shape and flavor, grown in the Middle Eastern Israelite state, becomes the emblem of the ceremony of the sukkot. The Jewish holiday, a memory of the biblical journey of the people of Israel to the promised land, glorifies the acrid fruit. The special ingredient of Orthodox commemoration must be flawless and free from imperfections. For this reason, during the month of September, among the crops of the Riviera, it is easy to come across long beards and Middle Eastern kippahs in search of the perfect cedar.
The seaside village of San Nicola Arcella
Perched on a steep cliff that plunges sheer into the crystal clear waters, from the top of its 110 meters of altitude, the seaside village masters the Gulf of Policastro.
Kilometers of rugged coastline, between bays and calanques set in the rock, overlook the Campania and Lucanian coasts. The gulf that coaxes three coasts offers views that take your breath away. The roots of the charming village must be searched among the plots of local history, permeated by legendary battles and punctuated by impetuous Saracen raids. At the docking of the first corsair banner, the people of Lavanium - coming from the ancient city founded by Aeneas and settled in Scalea - finds refuge in the hills. Here he founds an untouched inhabited nucleus, sheltered from the black-skinned grubbers. The newborn San Nicola dei Bulgari was soon renamed San Nicola Arcella.
Apostrophizing the historiographical value of the Arx from which the village of fishermen and farmers originates. Even today, among its characteristic alleys, you can breathe the smell of the sea mixed with the past. The perpetual flow of time has not at all scratched its ancient beauty, cemented between its worn squares, between the sun-dried clothes and the sweetish scent of agave.
The islet lapped by turquoise and swirling water
Not far from the mainland, opposite the coast of Capo d'Arena, the island of Dino rests like a titanic colossus. Heads of battles caused by pirates and commanders to secure dominion, the islet owes its mythological name to none other than the goddess of beauty.
A mausoleum corroded by time and forgotten by men was consecrated to Venus, the god of eros and fertility. The term, of Greek etymology (dina), would underline the impetuous temperament of the waters that surround it, translating as whirlwind, storm. After the domination of the Turks and the resistance of the Aetani, the echo of its singular attractiveness reaches the nautical chart of Admiral William Sidney Smith, head of the Anglo-Bourbon fleet. However, the branch built to counter the Napoleonic advance crumbles in the hands of General Murat, who manages to claim hegemony of the islet.
Supremacy felt by countless hands before reaching Commendatore Agnelli's pockets. After a very short interlude during which the contract with the CEO of Fiat was uprooted, the state property passed to the municipality, today the island belongs to the Neapolitan entrepreneur Domenico Palumbo.
The extraordinary beauty of the Arco Magno
Bent on the slopes of San Nicola Arcella, the Arco Magno beach offers a cover scenario. We forget the boundless expanses of dark sand submerged by umbrellas. And let's forget the coasts studded with pubs and chiringuiti. The bay of Aeneas, as the Arco Magno beach is rarely called, is a small corner of paradise away from the typical spotlights of the rivieras ruined by mass tourism.
Now also known overseas, it preserves the uncontaminated surrounding landscape well, remaining alien to the monsters of concrete usurpers of beauty of many Italian beaches. This is confirmed by the difficult path to take to reach it, consisting of an arduous and steep path carved into the rock. Comfortable shoes and a little patience will be essential to reach your destination. Once you arrive, however, the spectator show will repay the effort. Before the eyes a natural lagoon, which looks like a crescent moon if you observe it well. A chromed star with shades that run through the blue in all its shades, from cobalt to aquamarine. To make this hermitage, a tiny corner of Calabria, even more extraordinary, an imposing spur of rock emerges from the waters in front of it at the lookout of the inlet.
And in fact, the enchanting basin is also known as the Grotta dei Saraceni, in memory of the tinkered resistance to the historic docking of Arab marauders. Today the Arco Magno remains one of the most famous, poetic and popular places in the beautiful sun-kissed region. A monolith with a vault so wide that it can allow the passage of boats and adventurous swimmers that reaches its maximum splendor when the incandescent star dives into the water.
