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The 14th Century granite entrance to Torre di Ruggiero's City Hall (left) Torre's Mayor Mario Barbieri

"Torre di Ruggiero, after more than nine centuries, is still part natural beauty and part playground for artists..."

Welcome from the Mayor of Torre

Torre is the heart of Calabria where you will find that the warm sun is always kissing your face and the close sparkling blue waters of the Ionian are always waiting for a moonlight swim
(Click here to visit Torre di Ruggiero)

January 1, 2004

To all visitors to Southern Italia, I extend a warm invitation for you to come and visit us in Torre di Ruggiero. You will discover immediately that in Torre we not only live the Mediterranean Dream, but we invite visitors to share our dolce vita.

Torre, after more than ten centuries, is still part natural beauty and part playground for artists.

We are very proud to live in an historic gem of Calabria, but, we are a little lonely. Where once the population was much higher, some 100 years ago, it had dwindled to less than 2,000 by the year 2000.

But in the nick of time we were discovered by historians. After all, few cities have our living history. Tenanted for a thousand year, Torre is filled with medieval and Renaissance stone houses. These architectural treasures range from the 15th to 18th centuries, with wall thickness from 1 - 2½ meters (3- 7 feet). On every narrow street, we live with evidence of Norman, Medieval Castle Keeps, Renaissance Houses, and Baroque Palazzos.

Originally a valley sanctuary, Torre is now a gleaming beacon of ancient stone houses resting in a mountain top and rolling hillsides, surrounded by sweet-smelling chestnut, hazelnut and lemon groves amidst Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Norman ruins.

Balconies and window sills of Torre offer spectacular views of the mountain ranges, and in certain places, of two seasides spanning the Italian peninsula. This is the heart of Calabria where you will find that the warm sun is always kissing your face and the closeby sparkling blue waters of the Ionian are always waiting for a moonlight swim.

For those of you who love great food and wine, you are in the "hearth" of Italy's breadbasket. And for those who dream of living in an authentic historical setting, Torre's ancient houses, secret doorways, winding lanes, and medieval cobblestones will sweep you away...

Torre is wondrously intact despite having houses that average three to six hundred years old. We were finally rediscovered a few years ago by the region's historians and genealogists who became so inspired by our architectural richness and importance that soon Torre was proclaimed an historical Calabrian landmark.

As a result of the local enthusiasm, the importance of the sanctuary and the region's tourism plans, the government of Calabria and the European Community have invested millions of Euro to renovate Torre's infrastructure, including the piazza, and windy cobblestone streets. It is now designated as the crowning jewel in Calabria's Tourism Development Program for the Millennium.

As part of this revitalization program, the first one hundred deserted medieval stone houses are now available for purchase. These properties of varied sizes, are available in either renovated condition or as is for those wishing to renovate themselves.

Choose from servants quarters to Prince's bedroom and enjoy spectacular panoramic vistas of the rolling plains of the Sila Mountains. These residences are in prime locations, near all the services, cafes, restaurant, hearth bakery and piazza.

In addition to revitalizing the city's services and infrastructure, the government is devoting more of their tourism budget to administer the planning of an annual Renaissance Festival in Torre to launch in 2006. One week of lavish Renaissance entertainment will highlight Calabria's devotion to its rich history and culture and promote Torre's status as an artist's colony, outrivaling Ravello.

Torre's immediate neighbors, local barons with grand estates and olive groves, and an 12th century Carmelite Convent, have joined in the revitalization spirit to ensure that the panorama from every window and balcony in our city encasing their properties, even to the skipping over stones by the local goat herd, is an aesthetic and pleasing experience.

Work is progressing at an astonishing pace and the local development companies are attracting and settling in new residents from Northern Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, and North America.

They have established the lowest purchase prices in the world for both finished and unfinished properties. You can move into modernized interiors, in completely furnished apartments in an ancient house, and you have nothing to do but succumb to the Mediterranean life style-and indulge yourself in beauty and health.

The holiday houses in Torre are the most affordable in the world because our goal is to encourage tourism in the largely unexplored Region of Calabria and to promote its history, culture, great food, and unspoiled beaches.