Cetraro

Of very ancient origins, Cetraro was probably the first seafront town of the bruzi; its name derives almost certainly from the large quantity of citrus produced in the surrounding countryside, even though there is also a second hypothesis in which the term is linked back to the river aron which crosses the territory of the municipality, (citra-aron or ci-tra rivum).

Cetraro was given as a gift to the abbot desiderio iv epifanio, on the part of the duchess sikelgaita, second wife of roberto il guiscardo di montecassino, as a symbol of gratitude for the devotion shown to her at melfi. For approximately 726 years, from 1086 to 1810, Cetraro was property of the benedictines of montecassino. today, the municipality is divided into: cetraro superiore and borgo san marco; entrance to the town is through three main gates: di mare, di basso and di sopra.

Things to see: the church of the ritiro, the archpriest’s church of san benedetto (saint benedict) and the church of the cappuccini (capuchins) which inside preserves local engravings; the "marinaia" is interesting and characteristic, being a casbah of little alleyways in the benedictine historical centre; in the summer months, it is possible to visit the sanctuary of the madonna.

A short distance from Cetraro town, the marina di Cetraro (borgo san marco) has developed, a seaside resort in the course of being developed; from here, it is possible to reach the beautiful marine grottoes, amongst which the grottoes di rizzo as well as that of the colonne (columns). There is a wide selection of: hotels, residence self catering accommodation, agriturismos, b&b, camping sites, holiday homes and tourist villages.