Taverna: Art, Cycling and the Sila Landscape

Taverna lies at the foot of Sila Piccola in the national park. The town combines sacred art, cycling opportunities and wooded mountain villages that serve as starting points for excursions and outdoor activities. In Taverna, Santa Barbara and San Domenico represent sacred art, the cycling routes represent cycling, and the mountain villages represent outdoor activities.

Art and Sacred Architecture

The Chiesa arcipretale di Santa Barbara brings together several cultural highlights: it was built by the Franciscans in the 15th century and houses six oil paintings by Mattia Preti, including “Patrocinio di S. Barbara” from 1688. It also has a ramp providing wheelchair access. The Santa Barbara ramp complements the paintings and architectural history with a specific feature for visitors who use wheelchairs.

The Museo Civico di Taverna is housed in the former Dominican monastery. The Chiesa monumentale di San Domenico was rebuilt in Baroque forms between 1670 and 1680; it contains 11 oil paintings by Mattia Preti. Architecture and painting come together in Taverna through the former Dominican monastery, San Domenico in Baroque forms and Mattia Preti’s paintings.

Cycling with Clear Points of Reference

The regional cycling route reaches the center of Taverna at an elevation of 521 m. Within the urban area, the cycling route is more than 2 km long in total and reserved exclusively for cyclists. When planning a cycling tour, the section leading to the center at an elevation of 521 m and the more-than-2-km urban section can be considered separately. The more-than-2-km section within the town represents a different type of route from the connection through several towns.

A cycling route also connects Villaggio Mancuso with Villaggio Racise and then with the hamlet of Pantane. In addition to the route to the center, another connection therefore runs via Villaggio Mancuso, Villaggio Racise and Pantane. The two routes can be considered separately when planning stages.

Sila Landscape and Excursions

The “Monaco - Antonio Garcea” visitor center is a multifunctional complex. It includes museums, educational areas, teaching laboratories, a conference room, additional facilities and trails. For those interested in culture, the complex includes not only museums but also educational areas and teaching laboratories.

Taverna’s wooded mountain villages serve as starting points for excursions and outdoor activities. Anyone wishing to plan outdoor excursions in addition to visiting churches, paintings and cycling routes in Taverna can include the mountain villages and the “Monaco - Antonio Garcea” visitor center in their daily itinerary. This keeps the connection to the landscape—represented by the wooded mountain villages and the multifunctional complex—concrete.

Hotel and Travel Profile

When choosing a hotel in Taverna, you can consciously focus on your priorities: those interested in art can visit Santa Barbara, the Museo Civico and San Domenico; cyclists can focus on the cycling routes; and nature lovers can explore the wooded mountain villages and the visitor center. Santa Barbara, the Museo Civico and San Domenico represent sacred art and painting, while the cycling routes, mountain villages and visitor center lead to the other two subject areas.

Discover More Destinations

For further travel planning, you can also find Montepaone, Simeri Mare, Tiriolo, Torre Di Ruggiero, Santa Eufemia Lamezia, Montauro, Badolato Marina and Davoli.

For the higher-level travel overview: Catanzaro.