The village was totaly rebuilt after the devastating earthquake of 1905 that destroyed everything, except the church of Maria SS. Di Portosalvo. Thanks to its position, it belongs to the so called “Costa degli Dei”, a characteristic part of coast known for its amazing landscapes.

Among the most important citizens we remember: Antonino Pietropaolo, born in Parghelia in 1843, that milited in the Garibaldi’s army during the meeting in Teano with Vittorio Emanuele II. Girolamo Grillo, an important Bishop born in Parghelia the 18^th August 1930 and died in 2016. Mariano Meligrana, a famous anthropologist born in Parghelia in 1936 and died in Rome in 1982.

Parghelia's steps are also visible in our map:

The place chosen for the realization of the work is a wide staircase realized completely in granite, located in Parghelia, a village of 1301 inahabitants in the province of Vibo Valentia. The area covers a surface of 8 km² and a coast of 8 km. It confines South with Tropea, North with Zambrone, East with Zaccanopoli and Ovest with the Mediterranean Sea.

The staircase is near the city hall and in front of the renowned “Bar di Pepè” and “Piazza Europa”, situated in the main street. From our point of view, this place can make you feel various sensations depending on the situations. Every single block of the staircase was extracted from a stone quarry near Parghelia, and it was sculpted until its final form. We have to remember that it was built in 1950, so it is quite ancient and we assure you that it is like coming back in time.

The inhabitants are proud because they see it as a little “Piazza di Spagna” especially in the summer when art exhibitions and catwalks take place. Another thing is that above the staircase you can admire the sea that is bound to liberty, but at the same time to sadness because lots of people from Parghelia worked on the cruise ships for a long time, so far away from their families. Moreover, there are hills and fields that show the beauty of the Mediterranean area and remind the hard work in the fields of many people that now are old. For the youngsters it reminds summer evenings because it was a place of friendship and also of love.

These are two sketches made by students who attend the laboratory of visual arts. The first one is a sketch, made with a charcoal pencil, while the second one is made with watercolor. The materials used allow to create a contrast between light and shadow .

Following, some 3D archicad elaborates made by architecture lab students.