On the northern boundaries of Malabotta Woods, a group of large, quartz, sandstone rocks, by the curious and suggestive shapes, stand over a thousand meters above sea level. On one side the Tyrrhenian Sea, on the other the valley of the Alcantara River.
Megaliti F ed M -Ph. Ignazio Mannarano
Here the only sounds are the rustling of the ferns and the chirping of birds.
The Eagle – Ph. I. Mannarano
We take the easy walking trail through the monumental stones, discovering the cutouts of the Virgin in prayer, the Monk, the male face or the eagle. It seems to be in “sacred place”, so that it has been compared to the famous British Stonehenge. Walking among these colossuses we wonder what the megaliths of Argimusco really were: a site for sacred rites, a place for astronomical observations for the peoples of ancient times, or maybe just beautiful and evocative sandstone rocks, eroded by the wind of the plateau over the centuries.
Whatever they are, it is a fact that these sandstone shapes have exerted a magnetic appeal for millennia.
In the hot summer evenings, eleven constellations continue to shine on the megaliths of the site after the sunset…
Tramonto all’Argimusco – Ph I. Mannarano
If we are not passionate about legends, we can just take a nice walk through these strangely shaped rocks. It’s a nice place for a picnic!
We complete our excursion in the ancient medieval village of Montalbano Elicona, considered one of the most beautiful villages in Italy; a very characteristic place with its majestic castle which was Frederick II of Aragon’s residence.
Montalbano Elicona – Ph I. Mannarano
