The Royal Road of the Calabrias: millennia of story along the Bourbon route and the Via Capua Regium

The Royal Road of the Calabrias , the route commissioned by the Bourbons in the 18th century and built partly along the Roman road that led from Capua to Reggio Calabria, is an endless succession of natural, historical and artistic wonders. Not to mention the gastronomic delights. Universally renowned sites such as Herculaneum and Pompeii alternate with lesser-known but equally worthy attractions, such as the Royal Palace of Portici, the ‘Golden Mile’, the Abbey of the Holy Trinity in Cava dei Tirreni, Salerno, the Carthusian Monastery of San Lorenzo in Padula, the spectacular Pertosa-Auletta Caves, as well as the historic coaching inns that have seen the likes of Cicero, Charles V, Garibaldi and many others pass through. A delightful itinerary, currently free from overtourism. An absolute must-see! 00:00 – Introduction and overview of the Strada Regia delle Calabrie 01:44 – The Pertosa-Auletta caves: the pile-dwelling village, the latest archaeological finds and the nature trail 03:37 – Cicero’s sausages in Zuppino (tasted in Scorzo), Lapis Pollae, the Ponte della Difesa 05:28 – The archaeological excavation at Herculaneum 06:41 – The early Christian baptistery of San Giovanni in Fonte (Padula) 07:25 – The early Christian baptistery of Nocera Superiore (Nuceria) 08:18 – The Peutinger Table 08:35 – Salerno, the Cathedral and the Salerno School of Medicine 09:50 – The Abbey of the Holy Trinity in Cava dei Tirreni 11:30 – The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament in Cava dei Tirreni 12:38 – The Duchess’s Tavern (Postiglione), Luca Esposito’s research and the Morrone Estate in the white artichoke-growing area (Pertosa) 14:07 – UNESCO Site: The Certosa di San Lorenzo in Padula 15:33 – The Royal Palace of Portici, Charles III and the beginnings of archaeology 17:03 – The Villas of the ‘Golden Mile’, the Grand Tour, Villa Campolieto, Villa Signorini 18:19 – Ferdinand IV of Bourbon orders the upgrading of the Strada Regia delle Calabrie, inspects and criticises the bridge and ramps at Campostrino, the inscription at Pagliarone (Serre) 19:34 – The construction of the Royal Road of the Calabrias during the French occupation 19:56 – Giuseppe Garibaldi and his stops along the Strada Regia 20:33 – The Taverna Lucana, the Cammino del Negro and the Byzantine routes, the local prosciutto 21:18 – Luca Esposito, after years of research, writes a historical and cartographic book on the Strada Regia delle Calabrie; the Archeoclub d’Italia, ANCI – the municipalities along the route – and the Campania Region are taking action to support the project.