Aspromonte National Park
Aspromonte is a mountain range in the Calabrian Apennines, located in southern Calabria, in the province of Reggio Calabria.
The name Aspromonte has two possible etymologies. In addition to the obvious meaning of "mount aspro" that would describe its morphology, another possibility is the meaning of "mont blanc", from the harsh Grecanic term, which means white. On its slopes is settled the last community of Grecanic speakers, an ancient language that derives from Ancient Greek or Byzantine Greek, so both etymologies are likely.
The highest peak is Montalto (1956 m.s.l.). Almost all buttresses descend steeply towards the sea, making the coastline very narrow. Characteristic is the development of the Aspromonte with overlapping terraces; there are four levels, called floors or fields.
The vegetation is very rich and varied, with the predominance of the Mediterranean maquis; there are also xerophilic formations on the Ionian belt, composed of thorny brooms and fiber brooms, along with mastic, myrtle, pear and tamarisk in the wetter areas.
At 1,311 m stands the ski resort of Gambarie, with flow of tourists from Calabria and Sicily.
In an impervious valley in the heart of Aspromonte, in the municipality of San Luca, there is the Sanctuary of the Madonna dei Polsi, a place of worship that, although difficult to reach, becomes in the summer months, especially in September, a destination for religious tourism.