San Giovanni in Fiore is in the heart of the Sila National Park. What makes this mountain village so interesting is that it is one of the largest and oldest towns in the Sila Mountains. The town, dating back to the 12th century, when Gioacchino da Fiore founded the Monastery and Abbey of San Giovanni...Read More
Southern Italy’s untapped rugged beauty with varying degrees of mountains and valleys, long winding shorelines, and let’s not forget, some of the largest and most protected national parks and reserves in Italy, make it the perfect place to visit if you love nature and hiking. You don’t have to be an expert to experience all...Read More
Calabria might be better known for the 500 miles of coastline that skirt its borders, but inside the region is imploding with three national parks. In fact, 91% of Calabria is mountainous, creating a dramatic landscape for those green and blue sea beaches, molding centuries old Medieval villages and making for some pretty adventurous outdoor...Read More
Today is the final installment of Sila Fridays … Wait. Wait. Don’t be sad. Today is the final installment of Sila Fridays until I get back up there and tour a different area. By now you know about getting to La Sila, you know of quaint Villaggio Mancuso, you know where to eat and sleep...Read More
Welcome back to Sila Fridays! We’ve toured the mountains and visited a quaint Alpine village … and all of that walking around has made me hungry. You? Then I know just the place we can go. There are no more than a handful of reputable eatin’ joints on the road to Villaggio Mancuso in Sila...Read More
In all of the 73,695 hectares that make up La Sila, no village is more enchanting than Villaggio Mancuso. This petite-sized Alpine community is home to 37 or so inhabitants who feast on their homegrown mushrooms and red hot chili peppers – the food, not the rock band. The village is often one of the...Read More
Il Parco Nazionale della Sila is the largest mountain range in Calabria and encompasses 21 towns, six mountain communities and three provinces – Catanzaro, Cosenza and Crotone. It is divided into three regions – Sila Grande (in Cosenza), Sila Piccola (in Catanzaro) and Sila Greca (in Crotone). The highest point in Sila Grande is Botte...Read More
Sila, or La Sila in Italiano, is the name of the mountain range located in Calabria that encompasses three of Calabria’s provinces – Catanzaro, Cosenza and Crotone. Sila Piccola, or Little Sila is the name of the mountain range near Catanzaro – talk about charming … I went last week to celebrate my 1st anniversary...Read More
