Calabria · Catanzaro
Badolato
A medieval borgo of thirteen churches above the Ionian, which took in 350 Kurdish refugees in 1997 and started its own slow rebirth.
- Best time
- Apr–Oct
- By car
- 4 h 35 min from Salerno
- By train
- Station in the comune
- Population
- 2,843
Known for
TOWN OF CHURCHES
Thirteen historic churches inside the centro storico, arranged in the shape of a Latin cross, most now silent.
KURDISH ARRIVAL
In December 1997 the Ararat ran aground at Badolato Marina; the village took in 350 Kurdish refugees, becoming an Italian model for hospitality.
OIL AND WINE
Olive oil and wine production on the slopes between the borgo and the sea, the local agricultural economy for centuries.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J13°
- F14°
- M15°
- A17°
- M23°
- J28°
- J32°
- A31°
- S27°
- O23°
- N18°
- D15°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
The festa: Andrea Avellino, 10 November
Why come
Badolato sits on a hill above the Ionian coast in the southern Catanzaro province, ringed by two deep valleys that drop toward the sea. The fief was granted around 1080 to the Norman knight Roberto il Guiscardo; in 1254 Filippo de Badulato was named lord, and the village stayed in his hands until 1272 when Pietro Ruffo, Count of Catanzaro, removed him. The medieval grid was laid out in the shape of a Latin cross, with thirteen churches inside the centro storico, most of them now closed; only the Chiesa Matrice, dedicated to the Santissimo Salvatore, holds regular services.
In 1997 the village, severely depopulated by emigration, took in 350 Kurdish refugees from a ship that ran aground on the coast. The episode turned Badolato into a model for resettlement and started a slow rebirth of the historic center, with houses bought and restored by foreign and Italian returnees. Olive oil and wine are the main agricultural products.
The Sunday letter
Badolato is on our list. Its letter is still to come.
We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Badolato comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.
How to get there
From Lamezia / Reggio (SUF), about 1h 18m by car.
Naples / Salerno (NAP) is about 5h 19m away.
By car from the centre of Salerno 4h 35m, Bari 5h 17m or Naples 5h 19m.
There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.
What to see
Chiesa Matrice del Santissimo Salvatore
Mother church of Badolato, the only one of the thirteen historic churches still in regular use.
Chiesa di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria
Medieval church preserved with a fresco that village women blocked from being moved for restoration, in a famous local protest.
Convento di Santa Maria degli Angeli
Former Franciscan monastery on a hill outside the village, now home to a Mondo X recovery community founded by Padre Eligio.
Centro storico
Medieval grid laid out in a Latin cross, with stepped stone streets, depopulated by emigration and being restored house by house.
Badolato Marina
The seaside frazione three kilometers below the historic village, where the Kurdish ship Ararat ran aground in December 1997.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Badolato fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
Living here
- Population 2,843
- Remotei
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Lamezia / Reggio, 1 h 18 min drive
- Regional capital Catanzaro, 56 min drive
Common questions
- What is Badolato known for?
- Badolato is a medieval borgo of thirteen churches at 240 meters above the Ionian, which took in 350 Kurdish refugees in 1997 and started its own slow rebirth.
- Where is Badolato?
- Badolato is a comune in the province of Catanzaro, in Calabria.
- What is the nearest airport to Badolato?
- Lamezia / Reggio (SUF), about 1h 18m by car.
- Can you get to Badolato without a car?
- Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
- How long is the drive from Salerno to Badolato?
- About 4h 35m by car.
- When is the best time to visit Badolato?
- Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 32 degrees, and November the wettest, with about 13 rain days.
- Is there a sagra or a festival in Badolato?
- The town keeps its patron saint's day: Andrea Avellino, 10 November.
- Which other towns are like Badolato?
- Archi, Riace and Cirò.
- How many people live in Badolato?
- 2,843 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 240 m
- Population: 2,843
- Surface area: 37.07 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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