Discover Catanzaro: Old Town, Museums and Sandy Beach

Between the Old Town, Art and Coastline

Catanzaro combines historic cityscapes with museums, contemporary art, nature and a long sandy beach. This gives you different ways to experience the city during your trip: you can explore local history, discover art collections and music history, or complement your stay with the landscape and coast.

In Catanzaro’s historic centre, you will find the Casa della Memoria Mimmo Rotella in the artist’s childhood home and the Teatro Politeama, designed by Paolo Portoghesi. The Casa della Memoria contains contemporary works as well as some works from the 1950s and 1960s, 250 books about important Pop Art and Neorealist artists, photographs and memorabilia. The Teatro Politeama is designed for opera, symphonic music, contemporary dance, operetta, spoken theatre and musicals.

The historic centre itself features winding alleyways and a medieval core. Along Corso Mazzini, 19th-century palaces line up alongside monumental squares. For culture-focused days, the MARCA – Museo delle Arti Catanzaro and the MUSMI – Museo Storico Militare Brigata Catanzaro add to the cityscape. MARCA is housed in the last surviving architectural evidence of Catanzaro’s golden age of silk production and includes a collection of 39 paintings by Andrea Cefaly senior.

The MUSMI presents more than two centuries of military history through memorabilia, weapons and uniforms. This includes a true-to-scale reconstruction of a First World War trench, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the experience of the First World War. The Museo del Rock focuses on a different historical period: it is dedicated to the golden age of rock ’n’ roll in the 1950s and 1960s and owns more than 10,000 original records as well as contemporary posters, historic magazines and memorabilia.

Nature is also part of Catanzaro’s character. The Parco della Biodiversità Mediterranea Michele Traversa covers more than 60 hectares across the city’s hills. It contains recreated Mediterranean ecosystems featuring native species. The park is also home to the Parco Internazionale della Scultura, an open-air gallery of contemporary art. This brings landscape, native species and sculptures together as a shared theme for a visit, without requiring you to focus on just one travel interest.

For a coastal stay, Catanzaro Marina in the Lido district offers more than five kilometres of sandy beach. The characteristic eateries of Catanzaro, known as “putiche”, offer an insight into the local cuisine. There, you can try local specialities such as “morseddhu”, a very spicy dish made from veal tripe. The historic centre, museums, park, beach and regional cuisine therefore provide different focal points for planning your days.

More Places for Planning Your Trip

If you would like to combine Catanzaro with other destinations in the surrounding area, here are the nearby places: Borgia, Falerna, Davoli, Platania, Copanello, San Floro, Marina Di Davoli and Soverato Marina.

For the higher-level travel overview: Catanzaro.