Cleto among Castles, Olive Groves and Local Cuisine

Castles and Churches in Cleto

Cleto combines striking buildings with a local history that is visible in its castles and churches. The Castello Normanno stands at the summit of Cleto’s hill. Cleto is also home to the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta, the town’s parish and main church; as a parish church, it dates from the 17th and 18th centuries. The Chiesa della Consolazione is a 17th-century church with a Byzantine-style majolica bell tower. In Cleto, you will therefore encounter various religious and defensive architectural forms, without the individual sites losing their own history.

Castles and Archaeological Sites

The historic destinations also include the Fontana Cece in the hamlet of Pantano. The area is archaeologically and historically significant and lies at the foot of Cleto’s medieval Norman castle. The ruins of the Castello di Savuto, a castle dating from 1524, are located in the district of the same name. The medieval Petramala Castle in Cleto is a restored defensive structure of Byzantine-Norman origin. Its remains lie at an altitude of around 360 metres and preserve halls, mustering areas, towers and water cisterns. For your visit to the town, this results in a series of specific historic sites whose themes range from churches and sacred architecture to fortifications.

Olive Groves and Rural Paths

The area around Cleto is characterised by extensive cultivated land, above all olive groves. The excursion along the olive-oil trails leads through centuries-old olive groves, through the village of Cleto and to its castle. The route is approximately 4 to 5 kilometres long. It runs through olive groves, along dry-stone walls and over paths that are still used for agriculture. This trail therefore combines landscape, agriculture and the historic setting of the town in a manageable hike. A visit to the olive mill also allows you to observe the production process for extra virgin olive oil.

Cialetta and Fresh Egg Pasta

The local cuisine is particularly well represented by Cialetta. This is Cleto’s traditional bread, made from durum-wheat semolina and eaten with local olive oil. Another culinary experience is the fresh egg-pasta workshop in Cleto. The hands-on activity teaches you how to prepare pasta by hand. The workshop concludes with a shared lunch or dinner. The pasta prepared by the participants and other local specialities are then tasted. For planning your trip, Cleto can therefore be explored through its buildings and paths as well as through specific regional foods and preparation methods.

Walking Tour and Hiking Route

A walking tour of Cleto includes visits to Petramala Castle and Savuto Castle. For longer walks, the Sentiero dei Tre castelli is the main route: the hiking trail is 12 kilometres long and leads from Savuto to Cleto via Monte Sant’Angelo. Together with the olive-oil trails, it describes two different ways to experience Cleto – one through the historic sites in the town and the other through a longer connection between the landscape, districts and castles. When choosing a hotel in Cleto, you can take these priorities into account when planning your own trip and combine culture, rural paths and local cuisine.

More Destinations for Your Planning

Further destinations for planning your trip to Italy include Aiello Calabro, Altomonte, San Lorenzo Bellizzi, Parenti, Cutura, Farneta, Altavilla and Cetraro.

To the main travel overview: Cosenza.