Holiday apartment in Celico: Churches, Sila and mountain trails

Holiday apartment in Celico between culture and mountain landscapes

Celico combines the history of Gioacchino da Fiore with the landscapes of the Sila. The town is considered the birthplace of Gioacchino da Fiore, who was born around 1130. At the same time, Celico lies at the foot of Monte Serra Stella, halfway between Cosenza and Camigliatello Silano. This creates a destination where sacred art, local traditions and mountain trails can shape a varied holiday for you.

Churches, art and Gioacchino da Fiore

The Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo is the place where Gioacchino da Fiore was baptised. The Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Michele Arcangelo also contains a ceiling fresco by Cristoforo Santanna from 1787 depicting Saint Michael. According to an analysis, a chalice in the same parish church can be dated to the mid-16th century. The Chiesa di San Nicola di Bari was built around 1518 according to an inscription on a portal arch and has three naves in the Romanesque style.

More recent centuries have also left visible traces in Celico. During the annual procession of the Madonna del Carmelo, a painting rather than a statue is carried according to Byzantine ritual tradition. The Chiesa Madonna dell'Assunta stands in the historic part of Celico and was built on the floor plan of Gioacchino da Fiore's house. The Monumento a Gioacchino was commissioned from the Italian sculptor Cesare Baccelli in 1965 and inaugurated in 1968.

Other sacred buildings include the Convento di San Domenico and several churches with notable decorative details. The monastery was founded in 1545 at the former entrance to the town along the Sentiero del Cannavino; fragments with tombs and underground passageways, among other remains, have survived to this day. The Chiesa dell'Annunziata is also known as Chiesuola and was built towards the end of the 15th century; it preserves a painting by Antonio Granata from 1798. The interior of the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Monte Carmelo is decorated with 18th-century stucco. The rural church of Santa Maria di Monte Carmelo lies in the chestnut forests of Monte Nocilla. The Chiesa e Convento di San Antonio contains a 17th-century tabernacle with mother-of-pearl and wood inlays.

Traditions and the flavours of the Sila

The Museum of Rural Traditions of the Sila Plateau was established in 2003 to document the traditional working and living areas of the plateau. The first three sections cover traditional timber harvesting, transhumance, and the cultivation of wheat and potatoes on the plateau. In addition, the history of silkworm farming recounts an important former source of income: in Celico, it was widespread until the 19th century. The Catasto Onciario of 1743 recorded the families' mulberry trees in order to calculate the wealth generated.

The culinary tradition of the Sila in Celico includes porcini mushrooms, Sila potatoes, Caciocavallo Silano DOP, local cured meats and cheeses, as well as Calabria's famous liquorice. These themes give a holiday apartment in Celico a clear cultural setting for a stay in which regional products can be just as interesting as churches, crafts and traditional ways of life.

Mountain landscapes, trails and seasonal differences

A distinctive landscape feature is the Castagno di San Francesco. The tree stands near a bay of Lago Cecita in the hamlet of Colamauci within the municipal territory of Celico. At higher altitude, the Monte Scuro Pass, at 1,618 metres, is also located within the municipal territory of Celico. The 13-kilometre mountain road Strada delle Vette connects the Monte Scuro pass with the summit of Monte Botte Donato and passes close to the summits of Serra Stella and Monte Curcio.

The Strada delle Vette changes character in winter: it is then closed to traffic and converted along its entire length into a cross-country ski trail. The Sentiero del Cannavino is the main route for walks and longer excursions. It runs for about eight kilometres to Juvinise, also called Torre Juvinise di Celico; there it branches off, among other directions, towards Celico and onwards to the Sila. From the Casello Margherita mountain hut at 1,400 metres, old mule tracks and mountain trails lead through areas where you can look for mushrooms or chestnuts.

The Fontana Vetida also connects natural and local history. It is associated with Gioacchino da Fiore, features medieval characteristics and can be reached via the old Via Fontanelle, which connected Celico with Spezzano Grande and other Casali to the south. Depending on your focus, you can place cultural destinations, culinary discoveries or mountain trails at the centre of your choice of holiday apartment. The different trail and road profiles provide concrete reference points for planning a day with shorter explorations or longer tours.

Other places for planning your trip

Oriolo, Marina Di Mandatoriccio, Longobardi, Mandatoriccio, Fagnano Castello, Rende, Guardia Piemontese and Torremezzo Di Falconara

For the higher-level travel overview: Cosenza.