Soverato

Spent our first night in Calabria in a small hotel off the highway, what a beautiful Italian lady. We are in Soverato on the east coast of Calabria over looking the Lonian Sea and about 90km north from the bottom tip of Calabria. Soverato is what is called a new town born in the 1950. To house a new population after the war and also to give a seaside/holiday life to a new generation of Italians.   

 

This is her story on the wall in Italian, so below they have translated into English for us.

In 1952, Caterina Rotiroti and Franco Paparazzo, newlywed, came from Centrache, a small hilly town, to Soverato. Soverato is a small centre of commerce and handicraft, and have no idea that the tourism will be  load-bearing axis of its economy. In this improvement, women like as Caterina have an important role. She dedicates with success at the activity of hotelier and restaurant owner , creating the base of the tourist movement,  recognised at national level. 
“Piccolo Ristoro” is the first restaurant and pizzeria on the main street where Caterina works with his husband until 1958. Clients increase and Caterina and Franco rent the restaurant of the Hotel San Vincenzo near the train station until 1961.

Meanwhile, they have bought a ground near the principal square called Maria Ausiliatrice. Caterina does everything alone because her husband was engaged in the costruction of the new restaurant Il Nocchiero, where they transfer in the 1962.

During these years, Caterina develops her instinctive talents like the sense of the hospitality, welcoming, offering and respect that determinate her success not only personal but also like important woman of Soverato.

Many Italian famous artists arrive to this restaurant: for example Enzo Tortora, Corrado and Miranda Martino.

Hotel Il Nocchiero is inaugurated to the mayor in 1962 and become a reference point where a lot of newlywed celebrate them weddings.

After time, the restaurant become an hotel, a structure composed to 36 rooms, updated in these years by Caterina’s sons, Giuseppe and Maurizio who have called the hotel “Il Nocchiero City Hotel” to continue the history of the hotel and increase new clientele.

Today Caterina is still loved and wanted from friends and everyone know her history and considerer her like a life and work mentor.  She is an example of honesty enterprise and free of any conditioning in a region like Calabria.