Discover Zumpano: Churches, Museums and I Calanchi

Zumpano combines sacred architecture, local art and an unusually shaped landscape. In Zumpano itself, in the hamlet of Rovella and near the town, you will find historical evidence with very different focal points.

Churches and Sacred Art

The Chiesa San Giorgio Martire was built around 1480 by Blessed Francesco Marino, who came from Zumpano, following the model of the Chiesa Madre di Cosenza. Its construction combines three naves in the Gothic-Romanesque style with Baroque elements. In the central nave, a carved and decorated wooden ceiling with large 16th-century coffers spans the interior.

The Museo Arte Sacra B. Vivarini is located in the rectory of the Chiesa San Giorgio Martire and was opened in June 2008. The museum preserves evidence of the religious devotion and worship of the parish community, as well as finely crafted objects made by local master artisans. The preserved objects also include a wooden pulpit from the mid-17th century.

The Chiesa Madonna del Carmine is located in Rovella, a hamlet of the municipality of Zumpano. It was built in 1884 and has a neoclassical pedimented façade with a stone round-arched portal. Also in Rovella stands the Chiesa di San Nicola di Bari, a building of considerable historical and artistic interest. The parish church dates from the late 15th or early 16th century and, at the latest, from 1530. It can be reached on foot via a scenic path.

The Chiesa della Madonna dell’Annunziata dates from the late 18th century. The square in Zumpano is also home to a statue of Saint George and the dragon created by Giacomo Martinuzzi, as well as a fountain by the same artist depicting the Chiesa di San Giorgio Martire.

Palaces, Museums and Historical Traces

Architectural and structural elements date the Palazzo Ritacca-Valentini to approximately the year 1000. In its present-day multipurpose hall and under-portico, the palace preserves traces of its original structure. The under-portico connected the palace with a narrow alley of what is now Via Roma.

The MAE – Museo Arte Etnografia is Zumpano’s municipal exhibition space and was conceived as a place of cultural production in the area. The Museo di Arte ed Etnografia (MAE) combines contemporary art, ethnography and an educational multimedia area for children. MAE Open in the historic centre of Zumpano displays contemporary sculptures that are closely connected with historical evidence.

Near Zumpano stands a tower built during the arrival of the Normans. It was integrated into the defensive network of towers and castles created by the Normans in southern Italy. Together with the Palazzo Ritacca-Valentini and the churches, this tower reveals different historical periods in the area around the town.

I Calanchi: Geological Landscape

I Calanchi is a steep, colour-layered escarpment several dozen metres high on the western boundary between the territory of Zumpano and Rovito. It consists of alluvial deposits from the Middle and Lower Pleistocene. The ridges and gullies of I Calanchi are erosion forms created mainly by the removal and surface runoff of water.

Getting to Zumpano

To travel to Zumpano, it is recommended to take the A3 Reggio Calabria–Salerno motorway and exit at Cosenza Sud.

More Destinations

Mormanno, Marina Di Fuscaldo, Marano Marchesato, Santa Maria Del Cedro, Rogliano, San Nicola Arcella, Belvedere Marittimo, Cerchiara Di Calabria