home
Rooms
Beach
Pool
Services
Cuisine
Excursions
Info
Itinerary for the hinterland
Itinerary for the hinterland: discover Calabria amidst its typical flavours and places full of history
Amongst history, religion and nature
Explore the hinterland of Calabria, amidst its typical flavours and places full of history.
Locri, Gerace and Stilo
A journey through hills, vineyards and beautiful landscapes leads to the discovery of interesting archaeological sites.
Stilo, a medieval village where Tommaso Campanella, the author of the The City of the Sun, lived, is home to the most significant Byzantine monument in Calabria: the Cattolica, a church dating back to the 10th century BC. The remains of the medieval castle are also very fascinating.
Gerace: the city of a hundred churches. Its historic centre is a concentration of Calabrian history, with churches and palaces displaying all the styles of the various periods of rule over the centuries. The Cathedral and the Church of San Francesco are worth a visit.
Locri: experience all the charm of Magna Grecia among the remnants of the "polis" founded in the 7th century BC: the remains of inhabited areas, city walls, forts and hydraulic works, relics of a necropolis dating back to various ages.
Stilo, a medieval village where Tommaso Campanella, the author of the The City of the Sun, lived, is home to the most significant Byzantine monument in Calabria: the Cattolica, a church dating back to the 10th century BC. The remains of the medieval castle are also very fascinating.
Gerace: the city of a hundred churches. Its historic centre is a concentration of Calabrian history, with churches and palaces displaying all the styles of the various periods of rule over the centuries. The Cathedral and the Church of San Francesco are worth a visit.
Locri: experience all the charm of Magna Grecia among the remnants of the "polis" founded in the 7th century BC: the remains of inhabited areas, city walls, forts and hydraulic works, relics of a necropolis dating back to various ages.
Zungri
In Zungri, there is a very interesting rock settlement called the 'Sbariati', which dates back to between the 9th and 12th centuries BC. It is a village made up of a central core and a myriad of caves. Remains of ancient rock dwellings dug into the sandstone walls of the valley and connected by numerous tunnels. A magical place capable of evoking rural traditions and allowing visitors to step back in time to discover how such distant populations arranged their habitat.
Spilinga
The small town in the municipality of Ricadi is world-famous for its traditional product par excellence: 'Nduja, a spicy, creamy pork sausage that contains no chemical additives or colouring agents because its preservation is assured by maturation and the abundant presence of red chilli pepper, which is naturally rich in natural antioxidants, and salt.
The most interesting attraction is the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Fontana, a destination for pilgrims and tourists enchanted by the mystical charm of the place. The small church of the Virgin Mary is set in the sandstone rock and located in a veritable natural paradise between the artificial lake and the miraculous water springs of the fontanelle. The sanctuary welcomes thousands of worshippers, especially in May, the month in which the Madonna is worshipped. Throughout the month, the faithful pay homage to the Mother of God by descending the steps that start in the historic centre and lead to the sanctuary, sometimes barefoot. The story of the Blessed Virgin of the Fountain of Spilinga is shrouded in legend: it is said that the Madonna appeared in a dream to Cicireja, a humble local peasant woman, inviting her to look for her statue with the baby Jesus in the valley, where every local homemaker went to wash at one of the many water springs. The old woman, in disbelief, did not think she needed to do so much research. However, the dream was nothing less than a prediction. Our Lady appeared to the woman again in a dream and urged her to persist in her search, suggesting that a shrine be built where she had appeared. Thus, the discovery was made, amidst hedges and undergrowth, and the statue was discovered in the same cave where it currently resides.
The most interesting attraction is the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Fontana, a destination for pilgrims and tourists enchanted by the mystical charm of the place. The small church of the Virgin Mary is set in the sandstone rock and located in a veritable natural paradise between the artificial lake and the miraculous water springs of the fontanelle. The sanctuary welcomes thousands of worshippers, especially in May, the month in which the Madonna is worshipped. Throughout the month, the faithful pay homage to the Mother of God by descending the steps that start in the historic centre and lead to the sanctuary, sometimes barefoot. The story of the Blessed Virgin of the Fountain of Spilinga is shrouded in legend: it is said that the Madonna appeared in a dream to Cicireja, a humble local peasant woman, inviting her to look for her statue with the baby Jesus in the valley, where every local homemaker went to wash at one of the many water springs. The old woman, in disbelief, did not think she needed to do so much research. However, the dream was nothing less than a prediction. Our Lady appeared to the woman again in a dream and urged her to persist in her search, suggesting that a shrine be built where she had appeared. Thus, the discovery was made, amidst hedges and undergrowth, and the statue was discovered in the same cave where it currently resides.
Serra San Bruno e Soriano
Serra San Bruno is one of the most interesting sights in the Calabrian mountains. It is home to the Certosa, an ancient Dominican monastery founded by Bruno di Colonia in the 11th century in the woods south of the citadel. Entry to the Certosa is not permitted to respect the isolation of the monks, who are devoted to prayer and silence, but it is possible to enter the Carthusian monastery by visiting the adjoining museum.
A short distance away, on a wide clearing between beech and pine trees, are the San Bruno pond and the small church of Santa Maria del Bosco. According to tradition, the remains of San Bruno were buried here. When they were unearthed for transfer to the abbey church, a spring, the one that now feeds the pond, gushed forth. Since then, the faithful have flocked to this spring in search of redemption and grace. Serra San Bruno is also home to the Adrenalina Verde adventure park.
The hill town of Soriano Calabro developed thanks to the monumental complex of the Convent of San Domenico, whose foundation in 1510 and beliefs about the apparition of the 'Picture' of the Saint Gusmano in 1530 were apparently linked to miraculous events. The imposing Baroque monastery complex was partially destroyed in the 1783 earthquake. The marble remains, its majestic ruins and the Baroque façade of the old church are an important attraction for tourists.
A short distance away, on a wide clearing between beech and pine trees, are the San Bruno pond and the small church of Santa Maria del Bosco. According to tradition, the remains of San Bruno were buried here. When they were unearthed for transfer to the abbey church, a spring, the one that now feeds the pond, gushed forth. Since then, the faithful have flocked to this spring in search of redemption and grace. Serra San Bruno is also home to the Adrenalina Verde adventure park.
The hill town of Soriano Calabro developed thanks to the monumental complex of the Convent of San Domenico, whose foundation in 1510 and beliefs about the apparition of the 'Picture' of the Saint Gusmano in 1530 were apparently linked to miraculous events. The imposing Baroque monastery complex was partially destroyed in the 1783 earthquake. The marble remains, its majestic ruins and the Baroque façade of the old church are an important attraction for tourists.
Sila
The beautiful mountains of Calabria are well worth a one-day excursion: Aspromonte offers impressive views and unspoilt nature. The 65,000 hectares of the National Park provide visitors with dense forests, incredible rock formations, Mediterranean scrub, waterfalls and landscapes typical of the mountainous Calabria.
