Gasponi: Churches, History and Local Traditions

Gasponi brings together churches, landscapes and local culture. Its historical traces include religious buildings and old watchtowers, as well as rock-cut tombs, water management, silk craftsmanship and festivals.

Churches and Historical Traces

The parish of Gasponi is dedicated to San Acendino. The Chiesetta Santa Domenica is located in the inhabited part of the town and was built in Byzantine forms before 1500. After a lengthy period of decline, it was reconsecrated at the beginning of the 18th century.

The bell of Gasponi’s old parish church bears the year 1593 and the inscription “Michael salicola me fecit”. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Gasponi had three watchtowers to protect its territory from repeated incursions by the Barbary corsairs and the Turks.

Rock-cut tombs lie on Cardillo Hill and across a large part of the plateau behind it. Beyond the Cardillo area toward Sant’Agata, numerous other rock-cut tombs are clearly visible. In the Petti di Gasponi area are the remains of caves that once housed a medieval Basilian rock community.

Water, Mills and Silk

The abundant water in Gasponi was used to irrigate gardens and orchards; water flowing downhill supplied several mills. In the 17th century, a watermill operated in a small grove near Gasponi’s historic road. Its ruins, mostly buried in the ground, have long since slid down toward the valley floor.

Silk was produced and traded in Gasponi in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Festivals and Local Sweet

The Sagra del Dolce is a tradition that has existed for over 40 years and takes place on August 13. It was established to promote Gasponi’s traditional and historic sweet, Vrazza. A patronal festival in honor of Saint Sant’Acindino is documented in Gasponi on November 3. August 13 falls in summer, while November 3 falls in autumn; for festival-based travel planning, this results in two clearly separate dates.

Orientation between Tropea and Cardillo

The roads around Gasponi pass through different types of terrain. The road to Tropea initially runs through flat, gently sloping agricultural land, then continues downhill through rocky terrain and reaches Tropea from the southeast. Another road leads from Gasponi with a steady climb to the Cardillo hilltop. The route to Tropea descends more steeply after the agricultural land; the route to Cardillo climbs steadily.

In Drapia, before the town, a small unpaved road leads after about 300 meters on foot to the well-preserved watermill Il Mulino di Ciccio u Mulinaru. The mill near Gasponi is considerably less well preserved than the watermill Il Mulino di Ciccio u Mulinaru in Drapia.

Further Destinations

Further places in the same regional context: Longobardi, Pannaconi, Drapia, Simbario, Spilinga, Zungri, Filandari, Vibo Marina

For the higher-level travel overview: Vibo Valentia.