Calabria - Travel Guide and Tourism Information for Calabria, Italy

CALABRIA
Provinces: Reggio Calabria, Catanzaro, Cosenza, Crotone, Vibo Valentia

The extreme south-western region of Italy, washed by the Tyrrhenian and the lonian Sea. It is an essentially mountainous region, with a high central Apennine ridge, which crosses it lengthwise. The mountain slopes are overgrown with thick woods.

REGGIO DI CALABRIA

This town was founded in the second half of the 8th century BC by the Greeks of Eubea and soon become an important centre for trade, political and miltary power of the Magna Grecia.There is a fine view of both the straits and the Sicilian coast from the seafront promenade, called Lungomare Matteotti, which fringes the city. The remarkable bronze statues of Riace, rare Greek originals from the 5th century BC, are in the Museo Nazionale and really worth a visit.

COSENZA

Set in a lovely hilly setting, the town has an ancient quarter, clinging to the Colle Pancrazio, and a modern quarter, in the plain below. Its humanistic cultural tradition - which lent such renown to the Accademia Cosentina, founded in the 16th century by the great humanist Aulo Giano Parrasio and still in existence - was recently rejuvenated with the establishment of the Università della Calabria, in the nearby town of Arcavacata di Rende. In the old town you may visit the Cathedral, where Isabel of Aragon is buried, and the medieval churches of S.Domenico and S.Francesco.

CROTONE

Home of Pythagoras, the site of ancient Kroton has been entirely lost, but in its day this was among the most important colonial settlements of Magna Graecia, with a school of medicine that was famous throughout the classical world.

On the old town's main Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the Duomo's chief draw is an icon of the Black Madonna. The new Museo Archeologico Nazionale holds the best collection of finds from Magna Graecia on the Ionian coast.

Alongside good examples of Greek and Roman coins, information about and fragments from the excavations at Crotone and its various colonies, lists of the Olympic winners who hailed from the city and maps of the digs (the main one right next to the main industrial complex), the museum displays an array of items from Capo Colonna.

Most noteworthy of these is the so-called Treasure of Hera, a beautifully restored group of bronze statuettes – including a sphinx, a gorgon, a horse, a winged siren and a very rare nuraghic boat from Sardinia – found in a tomb at Capo Colonna in 1987, and dating from the seventh to the fifth centuries BC. The most dazzling item is a gold diadem, expertly worked with garlands of leaves and sprigs of myrtle.

VIBO VALENTIA

The ancient Hipponion - here, have a look at the Angevin castle, the 14th-century cloister in the church of the Rosary and the church of San Michele. Also the Byzantine temple of S. Ruba, the ruins of an old Roman baths and the remains of a 6th-century Greek acropolis.

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Sila One of Europe’s most wooded areas with the famous Bosco di Fallistro, where you can admire tall trees which are over 600 years old, the so-called Giganti della Sila. An ideal place for hiking and skiing in winter. Carmigliatello Silano is a charming winter resort town located in this area with well equipped ski trails. It is surrounded by pine forests and close to lake Cecita,

Tropea: The granite headland of Monte Poro juts out into the Tyrrhenian, forming a massive promontory with its sides sloping down across four sets of terraces between the Gulfs of Sant'Eufemia and Gioia. The town, with enchanting architectural views set in a singular landscape, stands high above the sea, perched on a sheer circular cliff, dominating four kilometres of small beaches separated by rocky outcroppings. This is a beautiful seaside resort with sandy beaches and crystal clear water.

Locri: a town on the Ionian sea with the remains of an ancient Greek city. To visit: the remains of a temple, some town walls, a theatre and the Santuario di Persephone

Stignano - Don’t’ miss the Villa Caristo, a well-preserved traditional Calabrian Baroque home with frescoes, stuccos, a private chapel and a beautiful garden with fountains and an olive press.

Pizzo: charming, typical Calabrian town with an interesting castle, built by Ferdinand I of Aragon.

Gerace - A medieval hill town with a 12th-century castle, an enchanting 11th-century Romanesque cathedral with interesting Treasury, and three Byzantine churches, S.Giovannello,Santa Maria del Maestro and Santa Maria del Monserrato.

Serra San Bruno: Don't miss this town with its Carthusian Monastery, founded in 1081 by Saint Bruno. In the monastery you may admire the frescoes and the museum. Have a walk to the nearby church of S.Maria del Bosco, the Grotto of S.Bruno and the Lake of Miracles.

Altomonte - A charming hilltown with a beautiful 14th century church, S.Maria della Consolazione. A good base from where to explore

Stilo: a hill town on Mount Consolino. Visit the Cathedral, the churches of S.Francesco, S.Giovanni and S.Domenico. However, the main attraction is the Cattolica, a small Byzantine church out of town, with five domes, dating back to the 7th century.

Castrovillari: In this town you may visit the Aragonese castle, the 16th-century church of S. Giuliano, the Jewish synagogue, the 11th-century sanctuary of S. Maria del Castello, the medieval church of the Trinity, and many historical palazzis in the old town.

Capo Vaticano: between the gulfs of Gioia Tauro and Sant'Eufemia. From here you get a stunning view on the Aeolian islands, looking at the Stromboli volcano.

Corigliano: With a beautiful Aragonese castle.

Rossano Calabro: Visit the exquisite 11th century Byzantine church of S.Marco, S.Anna and the Parish Museum which hosts a 6th century manuscript – the Codex purpureus.