Discover Colliano: Churches, Nature and Local Cuisine

Colliano is a destination for you if you want to experience Italian local history together with the landscape and local cuisine. In the historic center stands Santa Maria del Borgo, while Collianello adds its own historical character with further religious buildings and its connection to a Norman castle. There are also protected mountain landscapes, walking trails and culinary traditions centered around pulses, grains and truffles.

Churches and Architectural History

Santa Maria del Borgo is located in the historic center of Colliano and dates back to around the year 1000. The church preserves 18th- and 19th-century frescoes in the apse and on the side walls. The Chiesa Madre SS. Pietro e Paolo dates back to the 13th century and was rebuilt in the 18th century. As a Baroque church, it has a Latin cross floor plan and three naves.

The Chiesa di San Martino da Tours stands in the center of the Collianello district, a hamlet of Colliano. It has a single nave, a wall fresco of the saint and a holy-water stoup made of local stone. The Cappella della Madonna del Soccorso originated in the 15th century and is incorporated into the grounds of the Norman castle of Collianello above Colliano.

Historical layers can also be found beyond these churches. The Abbazia dell'Annunziata di Bisigliano is a medieval abbey built during the Lombard period over the remains of a Roman villa belonging to a local dominus. Palazzo Borriello is a 16th-century aristocratic palace with a Neoclassical structure. The architectural setting thus ranges from medieval origins to later Baroque and Neoclassical forms.

Nature, Trails and Mountain Landscapes

The Monti Eremita-Marzano nature reserve is directly associated with Colliano and is a protected natural area in the Province of Salerno. It covers 3,680 hectares and extends across the municipalities of Colliano, Laviano and Valva. It includes Mount Eremita, at 1,579 meters, and Mount Marzano, at 1,527 meters. Loc. Piano di Pecora, CAP 84020, is associated with the Riserva Monte Eremita Marzano.

For orientation between the natural areas, the clear spatial relationship between the two equipped areas is helpful: Piano Luongo is 800 meters from the equipped area of Piano di Pecora. Piano di Pecora offers walks along trails as well as picnic facilities with tables, chairs and benches. This allows you to shape your time in nature around both physical activity and a longer outdoor break.

Further activities lead from Piano di Pecora into the protected mountain landscape. I Briganti di Colliano offers horseback rides along trails between the Piano di Pecora picnic area and the Monti Eremita-Marzano nature reserve. I Briganti di Colliano also offers guided searches for the “Tartufo Oro Nero” with trained truffle dogs. These activities combine trails, landscape and the special character of the local truffle, without requiring you to commit to just one way of exploring.

Local Cuisine and Truffle Tradition

Colliano’s traditional cuisine includes dishes based on pulses and grains. The Tartufo di Colliano is one of the traditional agricultural products of the Campania region. Anyone interested in the culinary side of the town will find a direct connection between everyday cuisine and a regional product.

The 27th National Truffle and Market Exhibition of Local Typical Products featured tasting workshops, traditional gastronomy, exhibitions and a truffle competition. Together with the guided searches for the “Tartufo Oro Nero,” this focus shows the role that truffles and typical products play in Colliano’s cultural experience.

More Destinations

More destinations include Bracigliano, Acquavella, Acerno, Marina Di Ascea, Catona, Sicilì, Mandia and Auletta.

For the higher-level travel overview: Salerno.