Cittanova Between Sacred Art and Nature

Cittanova Between Sacred Art and Nature

Cittanova lies on a gentle slope on the right bank of the Torrente Serra. The town combines sacred art, botanical and natural history aspects, scientific collections and regional cuisine with the landscape of Piano dello Zomaro. Cultural sites include the Chiesa Matrice di San Girolamo, the Villa Comunale “Carlo Ruggiero”, the Biblioteca Comunale “Vincenzo De Cristo” and the Santa Tavola.

San Girolamo and Sacred Art

The Chiesa Matrice di San Girolamo has three naves and a slightly projecting semicircular apse. It was built by Maria Antonia Grimaldi Serra after the earthquake of 1783. Inside, there are 29 wooden Varetta statues. They date from the period between 1821 and 1893 and are works by Francesco and Vincenzo Biangardi. The church building and the Varetta statues therefore belong to different periods: the church was built after 1783, while the statues were created between 1821 and 1893. Every year on Good Friday, the Varetta statues are carried in a procession. For those interested in culture, the architectural design, sculptures and an annually recurring religious custom are closely connected at this site.

Villa, Library and Salt Cod

The Villa Comunale “Carlo Ruggiero” is recognized as a national monument of historical and natural history interest. It is also considered a botanical garden of exceptional rarity. The Biblioteca Comunale “Vincenzo De Cristo” holds more than 20,000 titles of significant interest from the history of books and documentation. The villa represents garden culture, while the library represents books and documentation. The Santa Tavola is a large granite stone split in half; a Byzantine cross is carved into its surface. Cittanova is also known for the traditional preparation of salt cod.

The Piano dello Zomaro Landscape

The Piano dello Zomaro area includes ancient peat bogs, lush beech forests and oligomineral springs. Archaeological remains can also be found on Piano dello Zomaro. A section of the Sentiero Calabria runs through the area. The trail section therefore passes through a landscape where natural features and archaeological remains occur together.

Flora and Natural History

The permanent photo exhibition “Flora in Cammino” can be viewed at the Centro Visita Zomaro. The centre serves to educate, inform and convey knowledge about the park’s flora and its conservation. In addition, the Museo civico di storia naturale has departments for petrography and mineralogy, zoology, palaeontology and botany. Petrography deals with rocks, mineralogy with minerals; palaeontology studies past forms of life. Museum opening hours can be obtained by telephone.

Discover More Destinations

If you would like to discover other places in addition to Cittanova, you can find Oliveto, Favazzina, Gambarie, Bianco, Marina Di Gioiosa Ionica, Lazzaro, Oppido Mamertina and Camini here.

For the overarching travel overview: Reggio Calabria.