Montepaone: Church Art, Museums and Local Traditions

Montepaone is a destination for travellers who want to combine Italian local history, museums, the coast and local traditions during a single stay. Sacred art, memories of crafts and seafaring, a beach resort with a play area, and a historic path give the town a range of different facets. If you are looking for culture and regional characteristics, you will find both regular events and seasonal themes such as nativity scenes and Cupeta here.

Art and History in Montepaone

The parish church of Maria S.S. Immacolata was rebuilt after 1783. Maria S.S. Immacolata also preserves a 17th-century painting of the Madonna del Rosario, attributed to Ippolito Borghese. Reconstruction history and sacred art thus stand side by side as two distinct themes.

The Albero della Libertà was planted in 1799 not only in Piazza Immacolata, but also in other streets. It bears witness to the Montepaone community’s support for the Repubblica Partenopea. The Albero della Libertà is fully accessible to visitors with disabilities.

Museums between Crafts and Seafaring

During the Christmas season, the Museo degli antichi mestieri also displays impressive handmade nativity scenes. The museum’s main entrance is at Via Umberto I, 16; access is also possible for visitors with disabilities.

The MUPEM presents traditional fishing crafts, local seafaring traditions and the history of diving. Its thematic scope therefore ranges from everyday craftsmanship and maritime heritage to the development of diving.

Coast and Historic Paths

Baia delle Sirene is a well-equipped beach resort in Montepaone with a spacious, safe play area for children. For travel with children, this area is a specific part of the beach facilities.

The historic Via dei Mulini is a 568-metre-long path. In the past, it connected the areas of Montepaone, Montauro, Gasperina and Stalettì with the Grangia di Sant’Anna and the system of water mills located further downhill. The path runs through a gently hilly, lush landscape with sunlit olive groves.

Festivals, Courses and Local Speciality

The feast of the patron saint San Felice is celebrated in Montepaone on 12 August. From 2012 onwards, cultural summer evenings shaped the lanes of Montepaone. Art exhibitions and arts and crafts shops were held in ground-floor premises and former oil mills; themed photographic exhibitions on the history of Montepaone also took place.

Art workshops are offered in Montepaone for adults and children, where new and traditional techniques can be discovered and applied in practice. A museum in Montepaone offers workshops on the art of Crivo and the preparation of Cupeta on request for groups or school classes.

At Christmas, Cupeta is traditionally prepared in Montepaone. This typical sweet is a nougat of Arab origin made from sesame, honey, flour and Mosto cotto. If you want to experience the local food culture not only through sights but also through hands-on craftsmanship, this subject connects cuisine and culture in a clear seasonal tradition.

Further destinations: Platania, Curinga, Badolato, Soveria Simeri, Cropani Marina, Satriano, Simeri, Sant'andrea Apostolo Dello Ionio.

To the higher-level travel overview: Catanzaro.