THE “TAGGHJATE”

The San Giorgio Jonico quarries, better known as the “tagghjate”, are located on the western slope of Mount Belvedere and are an important example of proto-industrial archaeology as well as represent a fascinating landscape of the Ionian municipality.

They owe their dialectal name ‘tagghju’, which means ‘cut’in Italian, to the manual method of extraction using a pickaxe to extract the tuff used in building in the area.

900 meters of steps, rooms and blocks up to 15 metres high that, over the years, have been covered by the surrounding nature characterized by the typical Mediterranean scrub that has given the place an important naturalistic value.

In a continuous interplay of light and shadow, backdrops of golden ochre tuff alternate with seasonal greens and scents of the luxuriant vegetation.

In a surreal silence, the route opens up from two sudden clearings into narrow gorges and unsuspected caves.

The magic of the strong sensory suggestion animates a fantastic open space dedicated to creative and cultural activities.