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Calabria has considerable cultural traditions, now neglected, mainly related to the rural world; it has a unique landscape in which our small towns are set like gems. "Paisi", as we call them,still hold values that have the family at the centre and the bond that it has with the land to be cultivated. This land still provides the raw material for our traditional cuisine, although no longer treated as first priority in our homes.
But what does the landscape has to do with tradition? The European Landscape Convention, adopted in Florence on October 20, 2000 and of which even Italy is a signatory, provides this definition: "the landscape is a certain portion of territory, as perceived by people whose character derives from 'action of natural factors and / or humans and their interrelationships. The landscape is built by us, as the picture is painted by the artist, so the landscape is a reflection of human culture.
Therefore it is not an image to watch passively but as a place with interavtive relationships between man and environment. In the anthropological sense it is an essential part of the cultural and natural heritage of a community and contribute to its identity and its welfare. It is not therefore, just and occupied space, but a place to live following the traces of our upbringing. The landscape is a collective heritage and its protection is a right and a responsibility for each of us.
So, immerse yourself in our landscape, the valley of Lao, today the 'Riviera of the Cedars', in homage to the Cedro, a native Citrus typical of this area. Observe the places that surround us,listen to the voices of the forest, enjoying the local flavours (we'll help you find them). Our traditional cuisine is cuisine of the poor but rich in flavors and perfumes, because our forefathers though poor, did their best to find a way to extract and use the flavours and scents that nature provided.
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