Nocera Terinese: History, Churches and Calabrian Culinary Culture

Nocera Terinese lies on the slopes of Monte Reventino and offers a broad vantage point over the Savuto Valley. The historic settlement lies at the confluence of the valleys of the Grande and Rivale streams. As a result, Nocera Terinese brings together landscape, local history and everyday Calabrian culture within a compact thematic area.

Ancient Traces and Historic Areas

In the hamlet of Piano della Tirena are the protected ruins of the ancient city of Temesa (Tempsa or Noukria). Piano della Tirena is classified as an ancient Greek-Roman-Byzantine settlement. The area covers approximately 30 hectares near the sea, between the Savuto River to the north and the Grande River to the south.

In the Rione Motta, next to Santa Maria della Pietà, stands a medieval Doric-style arch made of tuff. The “La Ponta” bridge connects Rione Motta with the rest of the historic centre.

Churches, Art and Older Layers

Santa Maria della Pietà is considered the oldest church in Nocera Terinese and evidence that the first inhabited core of present-day Nocera Terinese was located there. Its wooden portal bears reliefs of popular Renaissance art, including the figure of the siren Ligea. The Chiesa di San Martino is a small, simple church dating from the 15th century.

The Chiesa di San Francesco formerly belonged to the monastery of the Conventual Friars Minor. In 1955, the entire monastery complex was demolished, while the church remained abandoned. The church contains tuff altars in the Renaissance style. The Capuchin monastery was built in 1581 on the remains of a Norman castle. These different historical layers give each of the religious buildings its own connection to a particular period.

In the niche of the Annunziata is a wooden Pietà dating from 1600, depicting Our Lady of Sorrows with the dead Christ on her lap. The central altar of the Annunziata is made of green marble and is designated a national monument. The Madonna is placed at the foot of the altar in a simple wooden structure called “Sipurcu”, meaning “grave”, and surrounded by flowers and the “piatti”.

Vattienti and Calabrian Products

The Vattienti ritual takes place during the procession of Our Lady of Sorrows and the dead Christ on Holy Saturday. It is performed with two ritual instruments, the thistle and the rose. The earliest reports of the ritual date back to the 17th century. For travellers interested in religious traditions, this ritual is therefore one of Nocera Terinese’s particularly distinctive cultural features.

Nocera Terinese is one of the most important growing centres for Calabria’s Cipolla Rossa di Tropea IGP. In addition, the area around Nocera Terinese produces valued DOC wines from high-quality grape varieties. If you would like to combine culture, landscapes and regional products when choosing your hotel, the municipality offers several clearly distinct points of interest: historic churches, ancient traces, the slopes of Monte Reventino and the approximately 30-hectare site of Piano della Tirena.

Further Destinations

Lago, San Demetrio Corone, Diamante, Lorica, Montalto Uffugo, Trebisacce, Grisolia, Mirto

To the higher-level travel overview: Cosenza.