Holiday apartment in Marano Marchesato – Churches, Palazzi and Plateau

Marano Marchesato is considered a hilly town in the hinterland of Cosenza. Its character is shaped by narrow streets lined with palazzi gentilizi, religious buildings and the expansive plateau.

Holiday apartment in Marano Marchesato for culture and landscape

The strongest recognised historical hypothesis is that the local community of Marano Marchesato was formed after the earthquake of 27 March 1638. Numerous palazzi gentilizi line the narrow streets and define the various districts.

The Chiesa dell’Assunta is traditionally dated to the second half of the 12th century. Its ancillary buildings and churchyard are protected under a ministerial decree dated 17 April 1999.

The Santuario della Madonna del Carmelo in the Carmine district offers particularly many details. It is considered one of the oldest religious buildings in the entire surrounding area. The sanctuary has a Latin-cross floor plan and a colonnaded portico with a broad triangular pediment reminiscent of the façades of Greek temples. Inside are a fresco of the Madonna del Carmelo on the main altar, two statues of Mary and the Madonna di Fatima, a carved wooden pulpit, a black-stone holy-water font and two 18th-century confessionals.

The Chiesa di Sant’Antonio in Contrada Malvitani was built in the 19th century and has a single-nave layout, a light-stone portal, an altarpiece depicting an abbot, and statues of the Madonna di Sant’Antonio placed at the sides. The Chiesa di San Francesco di Paola preserves a fresco of San Francesco di Paola executed by Ritacca in 1980, two statues dedicated to the saint, a 20th-century organ and frescoes depicting his miracles.

The protected architectural heritage also includes the Palazzo ex Orfanotrofio Antonio e Sante Tenuta in Contrada Palazzo in the Malvitani district, which is protected under a ministerial decree dated 4 March 1991; the Chiesa di San Francesco di Paola and its adjoining parish house, protected under a ministerial decree dated 12 March 2002; and the Palazzo Belmonte-Zupo, protected under a ministerial decree dated 14 September 2001.

Plateau, peaks and routes in the municipal area

Cozzo Crocicchio is considered the highest peak in Marano Marchesato, at an elevation of 1005. There is a picnic area in the Piano Grande. Several routes lead north from the expansive plateau to the villages of Acquicella and Cerasuolo in the municipality of Rende.

A clearly dated occasion was the second edition of the “Festival d’Autunno” in Marano Marchesato, scheduled for 1 November 2025.

More places for your travel planning

Fiumefreddo Bruzio, Cittadella Del Capo, Croce di Magara, Nocera Terinese, Marina Di Sibari, Lago, Cariati and Guardia Piemontese.

To the higher-level travel overview: Cosenza.