Oppido Mamertina: Cathedral, Museums and Historical Traces

Oppido Mamertina draws attention to ecclesiastical art, the everyday culture of farming and crafts, and the traces of ancient Oppido. At the same time, the town is strategically located halfway between the peaks of Aspromonte National Park and the crystal-clear waters of the Costa Viola.

Cathedral, Art and Diocesan Museum

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is documented as dating from 1050 to 1065; during this period, the diocese was established in Oppido. The cathedral houses a marble statue of the Madonna from the 16th century, which is missing the Infant Jesus. It may be a work by Gagini; the statue comes from Oppido Vecchia.

The Oppido-Palmi Diocesan Museum is located in a building next to the Cathedral of Oppido Mamertina. It displays works of art from the diocese's collection that were previously kept in churches, monasteries, convents and other religious sites. The collection includes paintings as well as wooden and stone sculptures.

Historical Traces of Oppido

Palazzo Grillo was built after the 1787 earthquake by Don Giuseppe Grillo, who came from a noble family of Genoese origin. Following complete restoration, the palace is intended to house a museum.

Oppido Vecchia is classified as a historic town centre; as a ruin, it lies in the immediate vicinity of Oppido Mamertina. The castle of ancient Oppido dates from the 10th century, withstood the siege by the Normans in 1056, and displays Aragonese features in its final phase of development.

Everyday Culture and Religious Sites

The Museo didattico della civiltà contadina e artigiana opened in 1998 and preserves artefacts of the agro-pastoral culture of the Oppido Mamertina area. It displays tools used to produce and process silk, olives and cheese. Reconstructed areas depicting domestic life and women's work include a still-functioning loom, tools for making bread, embroidery, lace and everyday objects.

The festival of Maria Santissima Annunziata, the patron saint of Oppido Mamertina, is celebrated on 25 March and ends with a procession through the town; this tradition continues to this day. The Santuario Maria Santissima delle Grazie di Tresilico contains a Madonna statue by Arcangelo Testa dating from 1838. The Chiesa di Castellace houses a marble Madonna of Loreto by G. B. Mazzolo dating from 1542.

Destinations in the Wider Regional Area

Mount St Elia and Caletta Rovaglioso Scogliera Porto Oreste are considered viewpoints in the wider regional area around Oppido Mamertina. Also located in this wider regional area are Castello di San Giorgio Morgeto, a castle; Villa De Leo, a palace; and the Museo Angelo Versace, a museum.

More destinations for travel planning: Locri, Monasterace, Bova Marina, Motta San Giovanni, Roccella Ionica, Laureana Di Borrello, Pellaro, Delianuova

For the higher-level travel overview: Reggio Calabria.