Spezzano Della Sila: Discover Nature and Culture

Spezzano Della Sila draws attention to nature, trails, and culture in the Sila highlands. The artificial Lago Cecita lies in the Sila Grande, in the Province of Cosenza, and partly within the municipality of Spezzano Della Sila. Cupone is a locality in the same municipality, near the lake. These two local references provide a concrete framework for orientation: the water and Cupone are named points within the municipal area, while other themes focus on nature education, railway history, and religious heritage.

Experience and understand nature

The Centro Visita Cupone is an environmental education centre. It includes nature trails, wildlife observation points, a museum, and a geological garden. The Cupone Botanical Garden offers a 350-metre educational trail featuring 115 native plant species. The labels are provided in Braille and with raised lettering for visitors with visual impairments. The garden thus combines botanical information with a particular approach to orientation and interpretation.

Another connection with nature is the I Giganti della Sila nature reserve. It is home to 58 Laricio pines, which are more than a hundred years old and can grow up to 45 metres tall. The access road is unpaved, but the obstacle can be overcome; audio description devices are available for blind visitors. Cupone and I Giganti della Sila offer different focuses: the former centres on environmental education and observation, while the latter showcases the reserve’s ancient trees.

Cycling route and historic railway

The second stage of the Ciclovia dei Parchi della Calabria in the Parco Nazionale della Sila follows the lake basin to the Centro Visita Cupone, the stage finish, and passes through Spezzano Della Sila, among other places. The Trenino della Sila runs regular passenger services on the route from Moccone to San Nicola Silvana Mansio. Along the way, it stops in Camigliatello Silano, Ringhio, Sculca, and Croce di Magara, among other places. The cycling stage describes a section that finishes at Cupone; the Trenino, by contrast, focuses on the railway route and its stops. The two descriptions can therefore serve as different reference points for planning a trip. The Trenino’s locomotive is the German-built Model 353 Borsig from 1926; its carriages include fully restored wooden coaches. It is advisable to check the timetable in advance when planning a specific journey.

Religious heritage and cultural sites

The small wooden chapel, Chiesetta di San Lorenzo, stands on the shore of Lago Cecita, in the heart of the Sila plateau near the national park. In the days leading up to the martyr’s feast day, it becomes the destination of a pilgrimage that begins in Camigliatello Silano; many worshippers celebrate the Eucharist there. If you are interested in this religious occasion, you can take the specified period into account when planning your visit. The Sanctuary of San Francesco da Paola in Spezzano Della Sila also has a special historical status: chronologically, it is the third church built by San Francesco da Paola and the first church in the Franciscan Order of Charity worldwide.

La Nave della Sila is housed in a former livestock barn in Parco Old Calabria, restored by the architect Sila Barracco. The museum presents Italian emigration from a national perspective, rather than one limited to a single region. Parco Oldcalabria® draws on a different cultural connection: it is inspired by accounts from numerous foreign and Italian travellers who explored southern Italy, and Calabria in particular, as part of the Grand Tour from the 18th century onwards. Together, these sites offer different perspectives on the area—from religious history and architecture to emigration and travel writing.

When choosing where to stay, you can use these distinctions as a guide: would you like to focus on nature trails and environmental education, discover the ancient tree landscape, or explore religious and cultural history? The sights and their distinct themes provide concrete starting points for each.

Discover more destinations: Cutura, Pagania Vallonecupo, Cropalati, Zumpano, Villapiana Lido, Acri, Sibari, Francavilla Marittima

For the broader travel overview: Cosenza.