Laino Castello
Laino Castello: A Municipality Immersed in the Nature of the Pollino National Park
Hello friends! Today I want to talk to you about Laino Castello, a small municipality of 825 inhabitants located in the province of Cosenza, Calabria. Laino Castello is one of the 56 municipalities that make up the Pollino National Park, a large protected area where nature is the true protagonist.
Physical Geography: A Varied and Fascinating Territory
Laino Castello is located on a hill 545 meters above sea level, on the Calabrian side of the Mercure Valley. It is located on the border with Basilicata and the entire municipal area extends within the Pollino National Park, covering an area of about 1000 hectares in "zone 1: of relevant natural, landscape, and cultural interest with a limited degree of anthropization". The territory of Laino Castello is very varied, with peaks ranging from the 1291 meters of Mount La Destra to the 175 meters of the low part of the Lao river. Precisely because of this particular geographical conformation, numerous water courses can be admired. Among these, we find the Lao river and the Battendiero river, which give the municipality a unique and fascinating natural landscape.
History of Laino Castello
Origins Rich in History and Mystery
Laino Castello has ancient origins, dating back to the second half of the 7th or the early years of the 6th century BC. Its inhabitants are identified with the Enotri, the population that inhabited the ancient region of Enotria. It is not certain whether Laino Castello was founded by the survivors of the destruction of Sybaris or by the survivors of Lavinium. What is certain is that numerous archaeological finds confirm the presence of ancient Greek colonies in the area.
A Shared Past
For many years, Laino Castello and Laino Borgo constituted a single municipality simply called Laino. The division of the communal property dates back to November 4, 1811, the date on which the two towns became separate municipalities. However, it was only in 1947 that the two municipalities were definitively separated.
Laino Castello is a place that still bears the traces of its ancient history and that looks to the future with optimism, thanks to the presence of the Pollino National Park. If you love nature and history, do not miss the opportunity to visit this splendid village immersed in nature!
