San Fili is a town located on the west side of Crati Valley, on the superhighway
Paola-Cosenza- Crotone, 18 kilometers from Cosenza
and 16 kilometers from the Tirreno Sea.
San Fili is situated 550 meters above
sea level and is inhabited by about 2700 people. The town borders San Vincenzo
La Costa on the north, San Lucido on the west, and with Rendeand
Marano Marchesato on the Southeast. When using the old Paola- Cosenza road,
San Fili appears suddenly in all its urban extension, precariously attached
to the mountain like a 'Presepe', surrounded by a forest of chestnut trees.
A hilly town, but very close to the beach and to the high mountains( it
is less then 30 minutes away from Camigliatello, in Sila). Located on the
granite and gneiss rocks of the Catena Costiera Tirrenica
of Calabria. The territory is varied and picturesque. Larch and hazelnut,
pine and birch abound in the forests of Luta ,
Tansia and the Crocetta(980 meters above sea level); closer
to the town the ancient chestnut trees surround the town and characterize
a town always immersed in green and known for its abundant spring waters.
Continuing south, toward the valley we find the neighborhoods of Ortale,
Frassino at one time rich of fruit trees and vegetables, and, towards Rende,
Cucchiano know for the cultivation of figs.
Bucita
With a Bourbonic law of 1816, the village of Bucita was assigned to San
Fili, until then it belonged to the town of Montalto Uffugo. The village
of Bucita is 2 km North-West of San Fili. The name comes from the Latin
'Bucetum' (Pasture). Popular tradition remembers Bucita as 'Fuggita', that
is as a free zone where outlaws rested after crossing the Franchino Bridge
over the Tommarinaro brook. Bucita's main church, was built next to a rural
chapel where the Abbot Gioacchino used to preach, and it is dedicated to
Saint Lucy. At one time, once a year, during Easter, the teenagers of San
Fili and of Bucita used to have the 'Fight of the rocks' on the road halfway
between the two towns. Even today, there still exist a certain rivalry
between the inhabitants of San Fili And Bucita.
The Emoli
It is a small river that feeds from
the waters of the springs in Pompone and Terriforte . Flows
to the valley and at
the Fiumicelle receives the waters of the Cannili; skirts the town
and, in the territory of Rende, next to Castiglione Scalo, ends its run
into the Crati River. On the river banks, strip of very fertile land, produced
tasteful vegetables and wild berries. At one time, the water used to be
drinkable throughout its run , full of trouts, eels, pikes and royal fish.
Next to the Fiumicelle there used to be a sprawling field, were the lovers
used to meet next to a Roman bridge that recently lost its originality
in an attempt to restore it. At the beginning of this century, a power
plant was built (1905), under the initiative of the engineer Giuseppe Cannataro,
which provided electricity for the town . During the summer, the small
basin created by the dam was used like a pool by the local boys.
The water
The territory surrounding San Fili
is full of water. Springs clear and pure in the mountains, streams and
brooks, are used to irrigate the fields, skirting the town north of XX
September Ave(acquaru).
Very much appreciated are the diuretic
waters of the 'Pulizia' spring located just outside the town,
in the location from which the name was derived. Recent improvements to
the area of the spring have made more convenient the facilities and in
addition to the local residents, many travelers, especially during the
summer, come to San Fili from Cosenza and nearby towns to use and supply
themselves with this delicious water.
Edited and translated to
English by Pietro Parrinello- Selden- USA May 16, 1997