Holiday apartment in Soriano Calabro: Culture, Crafts and the Serre Landscape

Soriano Calabro lies on a slope of the Serre facing the Tyrrhenian Sea. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment in Soriano Calabro will find a place whose themes range from landscape and historic places of worship to ceramics, marble and traditional pastries. The Cammino del Normanno reaches Soriano Calabro along a route surrounded by narrow sandstone gorges and chestnut forests. A tourist itinerary also presents the town as a destination for exploring mysterious places of worship in the Serre Calabresi and places the Convento di San Domenico at the centre.

Holiday apartment in Soriano Calabro between monastic history and museums

The Convento di San Domenico, with its adjoining section of Norman origin, was founded in 1510 by Brother Vincenzo da Catanzaro. The Basilica Santuario San Domenico di Soriano Calabro was built in 1838 on the ruins of the old monastery. The Museo Convento di S. Domenico preserves fragments of statues, bas-reliefs, capitals and columns dating from the late 16th to the late 18th century. The attached library contains incunabula and books from the 16th century.

Several institutions continue these historical layers from different perspectives. The MuMar brings together surviving marble works from the 1783 earthquake in a chronological presentation. Its collection also includes an alabaster marble bust of Saint Dominic attributed to Giuliano Finelli, a pupil and collaborator of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The Museo dei Marmi was established in the restored former refectory and kitchen rooms of the monastery complex. The MuTerr covers 2,000 square metres, while the Museo del Terremoto focuses on earthquake safety in Calabria and addresses earthquakes and tsunamis from geological, seismological, historical and cultural perspectives.

Ceramics are also an unmistakable part of Soriano Calabro. The Museo Territoriale della Ceramica di Soriano displays ceramic finds from the Vibonese area, ranging from the Early Middle Ages through the Renaissance and modern era to the present day. From the 15th century onwards, Soriano became a leading centre of ceramic production; its sales market extended beyond the provincial borders. Another craft tradition is represented by the Seggiari of Soriano: they make chairs with woven straw seats and carved backrests.

Churches, art and religious traditions

Religious customs take place at Easter and during the feast of Saint Martin among the ruins of the old church. The Chiesa San Martino Vescovo was built in 1930 on the ruins of an older church that had been severely damaged by the 1908 earthquake. The Chiesa di San Francesco di Paola was created at the beginning of the 17th century as a chapel of the brotherhood dedicated to Saint Francis of Paola. Its rectangular floor plan, single-nave layout and gabled roof shape the architectural description of the sacred building. At the end of the 19th century, the Chiesa della Madonna del Carmine was built by builders and architects from Soriano.

The Museo d’Arte Sacra – Pinacoteca is located in the historic centre, in the monumental area of the old Convento di San Domenico. It displays around 40 works, including pieces by Mattia Preti, Polidoro da Caravaggio and Luca Giordano. The Biblioteca Calabrese is housed in the Palazzetto della Cultura, a building constructed in the Liberty style at the beginning of the 20th century. The Polo Museale di Soriano was created with reference to the history of the monastery and the town, shaped by destruction, abandonment and repeated rebuilding.

Mostaccioli and a distinct travel character

The culinary specialities include Mostaccioli from Soriano Calabro. These traditional sweets, typical of Soriano, have a votive and ritual origin. Water, local honey and flour are used for the dough; one part water is combined with three parts honey. The dough is shaped by hand and worked with special knives on wooden or marble tables. In this way, Soriano Calabro combines different interests when discovering churches, museums, crafts and cuisine, without limiting a stay to just one theme.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Soriano Calabro, you can therefore consider the desired focus of your trip: the Cammino del Normanno and the Serre landscape represent an active, nature-oriented exploration, while monastery complexes, the picture gallery, churches and library define the cultural character. The Mostaccioli add a culinary tradition to this knowledge of the town. This makes it possible to compare different ideas for each day before deciding on accommodation in the town.

Further destinations for your travel planning: Capistrano, Mandaradoni, San Costantino Calabro, Mileto, Pannaconi, Mongiana, Tropea, Filandari.

For the broader travel overview: Vibo Valentia.