The challenge of beauty, an art stop, in the village of Taverna, the birthplace of the great Mattia Preti, a famous 17th-century Italian artist and the most important in Calabrian history, whose works can be found in the Civic Museum in addition to paintings in the churches of San Domenico and Santa Barbara.

Fire, Water, Earth, Air, properties and transformations, a journey to the centre of the Earth. Engaging experiences for all ages: from scientists to adventurers, amidst expanses of forest right down to the lake. Guided tours, school and family, restaurant and lakeside chalet.

Also known as the Church of Sant’Antonio, this building is located in the village’s historic centre. The imposing stone entrance portal on the façade is very beautiful. Don’t miss the 18th-century wooden altarpiece in Baroque style.

Work in the fields, domestic life and the relationship with spirituality: a snapshot of the history of the previous century. The museum is housed in the former Church of San Pietro and can be visited by appointment.

Essential and mystical, a sacred symbol for the community, this church was created by the mastery of local masons and adorned with pieces of fine craftsmanship. Such is its grandeur that it towers over the village.

Home of the Protectress, the Santuario looks like a 15th-century architect’s sketch with a Gothic-style portal. Engraved on a slab is an epigraph documenting the visit of King Charles V of Habsburg who, grateful for the hospitality, donated his cloak to the village. There are postcard views of the village from the portico.

The Madonna appeared in a dream to the shepherd Giovanni Sposato, showing him the precise spot where to dig in the forest. In that place, the shepherd found a divine painting depicting the Madonna of Monserrato, and it was there that, at the end of the 18th century, a church was built, becoming a point of reference for the entire community still today.

Set in the woods between a rock face and the overhang dropping into the wild Bisirico valley, it was built in 1549 following the grace received by Pietro Telesio. The traveller from Cosenza, who with his horse fell down the cliff and faced certain death, turned his eyes to the sky and to the Madonna del Carmine. They were both saved, and he had a chapel built, which later became a favourite place for hermits.

An ancient convent founded in 1584 on a pre-existing Basilian settlement. It is one of the first monasteries linked to the Capuchin reform, and it is dedicated to Santa Maria delle Grazie. It currently houses the enclosed order of Sisters, the Poor Clares.

Built in 1607 by Monsignor Mariano Perbenedetti and financed by the community of Diano with a tax on meat and other levies. It is the largest of Scigliano’s 27 churches; the high altar in Gothic style, a 17th-century tabernacle and a wooden organ are particularly noteworthy features.

An imposing structure along Via Popilia (Reggio Calabria - Capua) built between 131 and 121 B.C.: about 3.5 metres wide, 11 metres high and about 25 metres long, it is an important testimony to engineering that has survived in perfect condition for over two millennia. Together with Pons Aemilius, 179 B.C., and Pons Fabricius on the Tiber Island, 69 B.C., it is one of the oldest bridges in the world.

A 16th-century building with a plasterless façade in neoclassical style with a stone portal and triangular tympanum. Currently deconsecrated, it houses the municipal library and the council chamber.

Standing on the square, the Mother Church has a façade in local stone and three entrance portals. A place of worship and summer educational activities, it is an important point of reference for the local community.

Intimate, like a maze, the centre of the village unravels through minute alleyways that seem to spill out of the mouths of majestic stone portals. Fairy-tale faces and floral shapes design the arches, while wrought-iron loggias climb towards the sky.

In harmony with the style of the small village, the church portal emerges resolutely from the tuffaceous wall, as if swallowing up the square. Alongside, testifying to the deep wound of emigration, stands the headquarters of the Società Operaia di Mutuo Soccorso (Workers’ Mutual Aid Society).

A location that recalls the authentic meaning of “church,” in which the community itself builds the sacred construction, whose name in dialect, A Madonna u ‘Ritu, refers to the district that unwinds beyond it, with alleys and small squares, in the upper part of the village.

A prodigious “great beauty,” built at the behest of the Virgin at the foot of the great oak of Visora. A place of community identity, both for locals and emigrants, and a pilgrimage destination where divine revelations have been handed down for generations.

A poet originating from the hamlet of Adami, Michele Pane emigrated to the United States in 1901. His Calabria would remain that of his childhood, linked to humble, simple, straight-talking people intolerant of the arrogance of greedy and corrupt barons. The association set up the Museo urbano (Urban museum), an itinerary hallmarked by Adami’s roots, houses and locations that still recount beautiful stories.

The residence of the anti-Bourbon patriot and general Francesco Stocco, a point of reference for Garibaldi and a prime figure in the 1848 Calabrian uprisings. The palazzo is the result of a transformation of the original 14th-century fortress into a noble mansion.

A dramatic crag that appears unexpectedly and resembles a strong and powerful giant. Legend has it that it is the throne of fairies, and in the tales of travellers and woodcutters from times past, there was apparently an opening here that led to the magical world of fairies. There are splendid views of Sila and the Reventino area.

Devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a strongly-felt tradition in Calabria. One of the most important festivals is the procession in Adami (16 July) with the wooden statue of the Madonna del Carmelo from the Abbey of Corazzo. The 16th-century Baroque church built by Carmelite friars is well worth seeing.

In a beautiful position between the hamlets of Passaggio and Tomaini, this church is an 18th-century highlight of the area. The façade is a monumental rendition of the traditional rapillo, the plasterwork made using river stone from the Reventino area, a distinctive element of local architecture.

A green resource offering a magical atmosphere ideal for people who love outdoor excursions. Well worth a day’s visit at the heart of the Reventino-Savuto environs. The picnic area is very beautiful. Green in late spring and summer, ablaze with yellows and reds in autumn, silver in winter. An enchanting location.

Serrastretta is also part of the origins of Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, aka Dalidà, one of the greatest international pop music performers from the 1960s to the 1980s. At the House Museum located in the village, her life is described by records, photographs, posters and writings.

An accurate reconstruction of the domestic and working environments of farmers and craftspeople. Great attention is paid to the woodworking tradition on the part of fhalignami (carpenters) and seggiari (chair-makers). The chairs of Serrastretta originated from the beech forest of Mount Condrò, a stone’s throw from the village, the place of origin of the wood used by the chair makers, skilled in the production of the 13bis, a traditional chair assembled without the use of glue or nails: the 13 parts make up the skeleton of the chair built uniquely using wood jointing techniques.

The 18th-century church has a beautiful portal sculpted grey granite. The stuccoes and works of art such as the green stone baptismal font and the altarpiece painted by Zimatore and Grillo reflect the artistic ferment of the 1700s.

Barbara Aiello, the first female rabbi in Italy, lives here. Her father, a musician, left Calabria for America in 1923 when he was 10 years old together with his mother and three younger sisters. Barbara was born in 1947 in the USA, and graduated in Pedagogy and Psychology. After a period in Milan, she returned to Calabria to help Jews in southern Italy rediscover their Hebrew roots. The small Synagogue is part of her home and is a place of peace and outreach in the heart of Serrastretta.

Hiding places, books, memories and testimonies of the brigandage that once typified these locations are fundamental features of the Museo del Brigante (Brigandry Museum), where you encounter the figure of Giosafatte Talarico, the “Robin Hood” of Panettieri who evaded capture by the police from 1820 to 1845.

Bread, as the name of the village suggests, is a symbol for shared values involving substance and spirit. In the past, the village had many bakeries, while today it has an outstanding location, a fully-functioning reconstruction, the Museo del Pane (Bread Museum), which accurately evokes the bakery’s interiors.

This is the mother church of Panettieri with a simple façade featuring three portals. The triple-nave interior conserves an 18th-century statue of San Carlo Borromeo by the Neapolitan school, two statues of the Madonna del Rosario and Madonna Addolorata, and early 20th-century paintings by Giorgio Pinna da Nicastro.

A 19th-century church that preserves a white marble stoup and baptismal font dating back to the early 17th century and two important 18th-century works: a fine sculpture of the Madonna with Child and Flaming Heart, and a painting by Francesco Colelli depicting the Madonna of Suffrage with the Child and the Souls in Purgatory.

There are no longer any monks, no rosaries are recited, there is no altar, but its mystical solitude is imbued with a spirituality as transparent as its roof of sky. And in that empty, austere space, a sign reminds us that “It is forbidden to trample on dreams.” Founded in 1060, it was rebuilt at the end of the 12th century by Cistercian monks. It experienced its most flourishing period with Abbot Gioacchino da Fiore in the first half of the 13th century. For many years it was a self-sufficient unit thanks to agricultural activities, cattle breeding, growing medicinal herbs and chestnut trees, an indispensable source of sustenance. The monks of Corazzo were farmers, breeders, blacksmiths, carpenters, masons, plumbers and engineers who transformed this location into an important “engine” for the local economy.

One of the most evocative spiritual locations in Calabria, the Santuario is an oasis of rarefied peace, in the green setting of the Piccola Sila, caressed by the waters of the river Corace. The painting of the Madonna of Constantinople, an image defined as acheiropoieton, not painted by human hand, and the ritual of the Cunfrunta, the meeting between the Madonna and St Joseph, are enchanting. Walking along the paths of the Corace River Park, you are immersed in the marvels of nature that takes the form of gorges and waterfalls, until you reach Cicala station.

A cornerstone for the community of Cicala, the Church of the Patron Saint is a place for cross-generational interaction and it is at the heart of traditional events. Here, history and legend weave narratives and relationships that generate values and nurture the local identity. It dates back to the 18th century and preserves two wooden altars from Corazzo Abbey.

An ideal place for a break in the spectacular setting of Bocca di Piazza, surrounded by nature. A stone’s throw from the cycle path, it offers tables, benches and BBQs for fantastic grilled fare.

Don’t miss the experience on foot or by bike on the dirt road that from Bocca di Piazza enters the forest in a fairy-tale setting and winds towards Lake Savuto. The route of about 5 km encapsulates the most attractive aspects of the Sila environment.

Lake Savuto is an area of naturalistic value and tranquillity, greatly appreciated by hikers; it is home to the ENEL hydroelectric power station with a penstock that feeds Lake Arvo in drought periods.

A symbol of history and of one of the most prominent families in the area, Palazzo Muraca hallmarks the village of Murachi. It is mentioned by Francesco Antonio Accattatis in his Storia di Scigliano (History of Scigliano) regarding the 1638 post-earthquake reconstruction, but it certainly has earlier origins.

Located in the hamlet of Censo, this building has a beautiful portal overlooking Piazza Ritrovo. Birthplace and home of one of the most important Calabrian families linked to the poet Aldo, the glottologist Luigi (father of the Calabrian dialect) and the historian Luigi Elvio.

Beautiful murals that tell the story of the Bianchi community. An emigrant waiting with two red suitcases, one from a few decades ago, the other a contemporary work by Wedo Goas. The other two murals are by SteReal, “who wanted to create a tribute to a practice that is very dear, above all, to those who have been fortunate enough to live close to their grandmothers’ love and care, namely kneading water and flour,” and by Emeid, who painted a brigand on the wall of the town hall, a symbol of identity in the defence of the territory against exploitation and domination from afar.

The pride of the Bianchi community, named after Luigi Accattatis, poet, historian and lexicographer famous for having compiled the Calabrian-Italian dictionary. The museum exhibits some of the 300 ancient documents and parchments dating from the period between 1450 and 1850.

The tracks and the platform tell of hugs and goodbyes, kisses and tears, waiting and returning. In a land marked by emigration and departure, the station will always be a dimension in which space and time merge, generating emotions and sentiments deeply rooted in the community.

An 18th-century icon in the heart of the village and a landmark for all the people of Bianchi. The square-plan tower rises high above the imposing Baroque building that has a partly three-aisled interior in Neoclassical style. On 25 July it hosts the Patron Saint’s Feast Day.

The murmur of the stream anticipates your arrival in a fairy-tale setting, where you are suspended in imagination, enraptured by Uncle Giovanni and Andreina’s stories, custodians and witnesses of a wheat-milling practice that has spanned more than 600 years. Here it is like opening an encyclopaedia, reading the marks on the millstones and the fragrant wood of the gears.

An ancient cult links the community with the Madonna of Loreto, celebrated in the eponymous church, a National Monument. The walls are entirely frescoed, and they offer an immersive experience. It dates to the 17th century. Feast day on 10 December.

A baronial mansion built in the late 16th century commissioned by Torquato Scaglione, Baron of Pittarella, purchased in 1922 by the Marasco family. The imposing building has a terrace supported by a five-arched portico.

Memory of the Future or Falling House, also known as the Oblique House, is Fabrizio Plessi’s remarkable installation that plays with a revolutionary equilibrium to remind us that anything is possible. Soveria Mannelli offers a chance to see how everyday clichés can be demolished, starting with the acceptance of a backward Mezzogiorno (southern Italy). The facade of a tilted house is the provocative face of this place, living testimony to the expression la sorte è cumu unu si la fa, a local saying that means that we hold destiny in our own hands.

Books are a gateway to knowledge and Soveria Mannelli has always attached importance to words on paper. The real wealth is in books, thought Michele Caligiuri, father of Mario, a lecturer at the University of Calabria who established the library in 2006. Many books but also events and presentations make this place a beating heart of Calabrian culture.

Parco Carta (Paper Park) is the perfect expression of Rubbettino’s vision, with contemporary art installations in the green area adjacent to the company: the name Carta underlines the link between the natural raw material used to make books celebrated through the language of art with a series of artist residency projects.

Palazzo Cimino is an ancient mansion deeply linked to the events that have marked the history of Soveria Mannelli. Built in the late 19th century by Michele Cimino, mayor at that time, it was originally a school. Later, the building was used as the Magistrate’s Court, then as a prison and finally as the Town Hall, and today it still houses the offices of the mayor and the municipal administration.

This is one of the two parish churches of Soveria Mannelli and it is located in the hamlet of San Tommaso. Dating back to the 18th century, it has a beautiful façade with a portal and a quadrangular window looking onto the entrance steps.

Famous for its marvellous altar in carved polychrome marble, until 1807 located in the abbey of Santa Maria del Corazzo, its frescoes depict important historical moments for the community of Soveria Mannelli such as the presence of the Bourbons, the anti-Napoleonic revolution and the phenomenon of brigandage.