Calabria · Cosenza
Belvedere Marittimo
A Riviera dei Cedri town on the Tyrrhenian, its Aragonese castle on the highest coastal hill and the relics of San Valentino in the Capuchin convent for three centuries.
Known for
CASTELLO ARAGONESE
Norman-Aragonese fortress on the highest coastal hill, rebuilt in 1490 by Ferdinand of Aragon with crenellated walls.
SAN VALENTINO
Relics of Saint Valentine in the Capuchin convent for over three hundred years, giving Belvedere its Città dell'Amore title.
RIVIERA DEI CEDRI
Forty-kilometer Tyrrhenian coast named for the cedro citron, the territory's signature crop and identity.
When to visit
Best · May–Sep
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Why come
Belvedere Marittimo sits on a panoramic stretch of the Tyrrhenian Riviera dei Cedri, fifty kilometers west of Cosenza. The municipal territory runs from Santa Litterata to Calabaja along the coast and climbs into the Pollino foothills behind, where Pollino National Park covers part of the commune. The Normans built the original fortress here around the year 1000 under Roger I, on the highest hill above the sea; the structure was rebuilt as the Castello Aragonese in 1490 under Ferdinand of Aragon, with crenellated walls and ceremonial gates.
Belvedere men sailed in the fleet at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. The Capuchin convent has kept relics of San Valentino for more than three centuries, a fact that earned the town the local title Città dell'Amore. The Riviera dei Cedri, the forty-kilometer Tyrrhenian stretch from Tortora south to here, is named for the cedro citron grown on the hillsides above the houses.
The Sunday letter
We haven’t written Belvedere Marittimo’s letter yet.
One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.
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What to see
Castello Aragonese
Coastal fortress on the highest hill, built by the Normans around 1000 and rebuilt in 1490 under Ferdinand of Aragon with crenellated walls and ceremonial gates.
Convento dei Cappuccini
Capuchin convent that has held relics of San Valentino for more than three centuries, earning the town the local title Città dell'Amore.
Riviera dei Cedri
Forty-kilometer Tyrrhenian stretch from Tortora south to Belvedere, named for the cedro citron grown on the hillsides above the houses.
Parco Nazionale del Pollino (lembo)
Pollino National Park covers part of the commune's interior, with forested ridges rising directly from the coastal hills.
The slow-trip planner
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Living here
- Population 8,905
- In-betweeni
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Nearest airport Lamezia / Reggio, 2 h 2 min drive
- Regional capital Catanzaro, 2 h 18 min drive
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 150 m
- Population: 8,905
- Surface area: 37.09 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
Close by
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🌲 Parco Nazionale
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