Cittanova: Church Art and the Zomaro Natural Area

Cittanova is situated on a gentle slope on the right bank of the Torrente Serra. The town’s profile includes church architecture, the Villa Comunale “Carlo Ruggiero” and the natural setting of Piano dello Zomaro. This variety offers a practical starting point for your hotel search: consider whether architecture, a religious tradition, landscapes or nature-related themes are especially important to your stay.

Church Architecture and Good Friday Tradition

The Chiesa Matrice di San Girolamo has three naves and a slightly projecting semicircular apse. It was built by Maria Antonia Grimaldi Serra after the 1783 earthquake. This brings together a specific architectural form and the history of reconstruction. The church houses 29 wooden Varette statues dating from 1821 to 1893, works by Francesco and Vincenzo Biangardi. Every year on Good Friday, the Varette are carried in a procession.

Villa Comunale and Cultural Profile

The Villa Comunale “Carlo Ruggiero” is recognized as a national monument of historical and natural-scientific interest and is considered a botanical garden of extraordinary rarity. Its designation brings together historical and natural-scientific interests in one place. Regional cuisine is also part of the town’s profile: Cittanova is known for its traditional preparation of stockfish. If you also take food culture into account when choosing a destination, alongside architecture and landscapes, this tradition offers a point of interest in its own right. The Biblioteca Comunale “Vincenzo De Cristo” is also part of the town’s cultural identity. The collection of the Biblioteca Comunale “Vincenzo De Cristo” is reported to comprise more than 20,000 titles of significant interest in book and documentary history; the number of titles may change.

Natural Area and Route Connections

The Piano dello Zomaro area includes ancient peat bogs, lush beech forests and oligomineral springs. Its landscapes range from wetlands and forests to spring areas. A section of the Sentiero Calabria runs through the Piano dello Zomaro area. The Piano also contains archaeological remains. Its natural features and archaeological dimension appeal to different interests: you can explore the area through its landscape or its remains.

Comparing Nature-Related Attractions

The Centro Visita Zomaro provides education and information and helps visitors learn about the park’s flora and its conservation. The permanent photo exhibition “Flora in Cammino” is on display there. The Museo civico di storia naturale has departments devoted to petrography and mineralogy, zoology, palaeontology and botany. Their focuses differ: the Centro Visita deals with the park’s flora and its conservation, while the museum covers several natural-science disciplines. Petrography and mineralogy deal with rocks and minerals, zoology with the animal world, palaeontology with fossil life forms, and botany with the plant world. Please call to enquire about the opening hours of the Museo civico di storia naturale.

Discover more destinations: Spina, Siderno, Monasterace Marina, Condofuri Marina, Cosoleto, Pozzi, Riace Marina, San Luca.

For the main travel overview: Reggio Calabria.