Discover Castagna on the slopes of Reventino

Castagna between Reventino and Corace

Castagna lies on the slopes of Reventino and combines a mountain setting with an ancient center. The Corace River runs below this center. The ruins of the Abbey of Santa Maria di Corazzo are visible in the upper valley of the river. For orientation in the area, the Corace running below and the abbey’s upper valley are the two fixed spatial reference points.

Foothills and settlement

The geological unit “Unità di Castagna” lies on the foothill where the settlement of the same name is also located. For observing the landscape, the settlement’s location on the foothill provides a specific starting point on site.

Chiesa dello Spirito Santo and organ from Corazzo

The Chiesa dello Spirito Santo in Castagna became the parish church in 1612. The church has an 18th-century organ that comes from Corazzo Abbey. The church itself is located in Castagna; the ruins of the Abbey of Santa Maria di Corazzo are visible in the upper valley of the Corace. The year in which the parish church was built and the age of the organ therefore belong to different periods.

Santa Maria di Corazzo and Gioacchino da Fiore

The Abbey of Santa Maria di Corazzo can be reached on foot or by vehicle. Gioacchino da Fiore was abbot of the abbey from 1177 to 1187. His term of office falls within the 12th century. Those who include the abbey in their travel plans can adapt whether to walk or use a vehicle to their daily schedule.

Castagna on the Cammino di San Giacomo Maggiore

The ninth stage of the Cammino di San Giacomo Maggiore in Calabria passes through Castagna. The town is therefore part of one section of the Cammino. For individual travel planning, this stage reference should be distinguished from the Festa di Santa Maria di Corazzo: on the Cammino, the stage passes through Castagna, while for the Festa, the procession begins in Castagna and leads to Corazzo Abbey.

Procession to the abbey

The Festa di Santa Maria di Corazzo includes a procession from Castagna to Corazzo Abbey. Castagna is the starting point, and the abbey is the destination. For those interested in culture, the procession is an independent festival occasion alongside the landscape and architectural history. Those who include it in their plans should take into account the route between the town and the abbey, not the course of the ninth Cammino stage.

Festivals featuring brigandage and San Giuseppe

Castagna regularly hosts a costume event reenacting episodes of the brigandage that occurred after Italian unification. In addition, the San Giuseppe festival takes place on the second Sunday in July. The second Sunday in July falls on a different date each year.

More destinations

For your further travel planning, you can find more places here: Gasperina, Martirano, Cropani, San Sostene, Guardavalle Marina, Falerna, Roccelletta, Soverato Marina

To the higher-level travel overview: Catanzaro.