Guardia Piemontese

Overlooking the Mediterranean from its hilltop, Guardia Piemontese is aptly named as a "guard". It was a strategic place for a watch tower as part of the coastal defense system that grew and became a town. The stone watch tower still stands as a sentinel, visible from the beaches below.

The stone town with cobbled lanes has an interesting and peculiar history. It was the destination of a group of Waldensian refugees from Piedmont region who fled persecution and came to these hills for a tranquil life. They lived and prospered as an evangelical sect, side by side with their Catholic neighbors, for centuries. Until the Protestant Reformation started to take hold and the Church, fearful they would join in and revolt, cracked down and launched an outright crusade against them. The main gateway to town is called Porta del Sangue (Gate of Blood) and commemorates a terrible night of murder when hundreds were killed, on June 5, 1561. The gate still leads into the narrow lanes and on to the castello. Another oddity you'll find here are the doors with spy holes, that were erected so priests could look in and check on the Waldensians "converts" who were kept in certain parts of town. A few of these doors can be seen around town, and one is on display in the interesting Museo Valdese that documents the history of this persecuted minority group.

Another result of the Waldensian influx is their particular language, called "Guardiolo," that is actually a version of Occitan. Guardia Piemontese is a linguistic enclave for the langue d'oc in southern Italy. The Occitan language comes from southern France and migrated to Piedmont and Liguria in northern Italy. Linguists and scholars come to study the Calabrian dialect of Guardiolo, and a festival is held in its honor every August.

The town was originally named Casale della Guardia Fuscaldo. It was changed to Guardia dei Valdi for the Waldensians, then more recently Guardia Piemontese, mentioning the region that they migrated from.

Another festival is called Bella Stella, on Epiphany, a lovely candlelit procession accompanies the Magi on their journey, with a guiding star leading the way and a light show in the piazza.

Guardia Piemontese is between the sea and the Parco Naturale del MOnte Culoria, with lakes, forests and trails. The seafront is called Guardia Marina and offers some nice pebble beaches and reefs with clean water and nice views. Here you can swim in the morning and go up in the hills and hike in the afternoon!