La Sentinella

Where it is

La Sentinella (literally “the sentinel”) occupies the hillside of upper Casamicciola, between the Piazza Bagni spa quarter and the Maio area. The place name lives on in the streets that cross it, Via Grande Sentinella and Via Piccola Sentinella, linked to Via Castanito. Its elevated position, with open views over the harbour and the gulf, explains both the name and the area's popularity with 19th-century holidaymakers.

History: the hill of illustrious guests

According to local historians, as early as 1820 the poet Alphonse de Lamartine and his wife rented a small house in this area. A few decades later the hill was home to Saverio Zavota's “Belle Vue” hotel, now known as Villa Parodi Delfino.

In June 1864, after just one day in Piazza Bagni, Giuseppe Garibaldi moved to Villa Zavota to continue his thermal treatment: a plaque on the façade, listed in Italy's national catalogue of cultural heritage, records that the general stayed here after Aspromonte. In the summer of 1879 the French historian Ernest Renan and his family stayed at the same hotel.

La Sentinella and science

After 1883 the State chose the Grande Sentinella as the site for the Casamicciola Geodynamic Observatory, established by royal decree, founded in 1884 and designed and directed by the Trieste-born seismologist Giulio Grablovitz. According to INGV (Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology), regular meteorological observations began here on 1 January 1888, while the seismological section was active from 1889 to 1936. La Sentinella thus became one of the birthplaces of Italian instrumental seismology.

The churches

Beyond the former observatory building, along Via Castanito, stands the Church of the Immacolata (Immaculate Conception), founded in 1703: this is the Sanctuary of Maria Santissima Immacolata. The Church of the Addolorata also stands in the same area.

How to get there

La Sentinella can be reached on foot or by car by climbing from the centre towards the upper part of the town, in the direction of Via Castanito and Via Grande Sentinella. The streets are narrow and steep: if you are walking, it is best to start from Piazza Bagni. The historic villas are private residences and can be seen from the outside only.

What to see nearby

• The Grande Sentinella Geophysical Observatory.
• The Sanctuary of the Immacolata.
• Garibaldi's villa, described on the page devoted to Giuseppe Garibaldi.