Santa Eufemia Lamezia: History and Culture

Santa Eufemia Lamezia has a layered local history. The Lamezia Terme Airport and the Lamezia Airlink train-and-bus connection are also relevant when planning your trip. If you are looking for a hotel, it is worth considering historical connections and arrangements for onward travel separately.

Getting there and the airport connection

Lamezia Terme Airport is officially called “Aeroporto Sant’Eufemia di Lamezia Terme.” The Lamezia Airlink combines a train journey to Lamezia Terme Centrale station with a bus ride to the airport, and vice versa. The bus is located at the station exit. If you use this combination, check the latest travel information before departure to plan your journey using the current details.

The history of the Benedictine Abbey

The Benedictine Abbey of Santa Maria was built in 1062 by the Norman military leader Roberto il Guiscardo on the remains of a Byzantine monastery dedicated to Saint Eufemia. The abbey first had a Byzantine phase, followed by a Norman one. During Norman and Hohenstaufen rule, it was administered by Benedictine monks; under the Angevins, it passed to the Knights of Malta. The 1638 earthquake destroyed the abbey. The settlement of Sant’Eufemia initially grew around its ruins. A reservation is required to visit the Benedictine Abbey of Santa Maria. Check this requirement before your trip.

Bastione di Malta and San Giovanni Battista

The Bastione di Malta is considered the best-preserved structure in the Lamezia area’s architectural heritage. Its compact base has the shape of a truncated pyramid, above which rises a square upper tower. The truncated pyramid shape and the square tower form two distinct parts of the structure. The historic church after which the parish of San Giovanni Battista in S. Eufemia Vetere is named dates from 1759.

Archaeology in the surrounding area

In the Sant’Eufemia Vetere area, material evidence of an ancient settlement dates back to around the mid-19th century. A hoard of jewelry found in 1865 in Contrada Terravecchia was later sold to the British Museum in London, where it is still kept today. Terina is also part of the nearby archaeological context. The excavated area includes a residential quarter laid out along parallel axes in a regular urban grid. This brings two different scales together: a single jewelry find, with a collection history that reaches London, and the regular layout of an entire residential quarter.

Patron saint’s celebration in Sant’Eufemia Lamezia

A traditional celebration in honor of Saint Francis of Paola is also held in Sant’Eufemia Lamezia. It adds a religious festival tradition to the area’s architectural and archaeological history.

Discover more destinations: Cropani Marina, Badolato Marina, Isca Sullo Ionio, Motta Santa Lucia, Davoli, Decollatura, Marina Di Davoli, Sorbo San Basile.

For the broader travel overview: Catanzaro.