What is Spezzano della Sila known for?

Western gateway to the park, with the Cupone visitor centre, Lake Cecita and the Giants of the Sila inside the commune boundary. The 1474 sanctuary, the third monastery founded by the Paolan saint, still standing in the centro storico. The frazione at 1,272 meters with the Monte Curcio ski lifts, the commune's high-altitude side.

Where is Spezzano della Sila?

Spezzano della Sila is a comune in the province of Cosenza, Calabria region of Italy, about 222 kilometers from Reggio Calabria.

Calabria · Cosenza

Spezzano della Sila

A Sila plateau borgo at 800 meters, the gateway to the national park and the Giants of the Sila above Lake Cecita.

800m

Elevation

222 km / 138 mi

Nearest hub (Reggio Calabria)

4,218

Population

May–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Parco Nazionale

Why come

Spezzano della Sila sits at 800 meters on the Presila Cosentina, twenty kilometers east of Cosenza and on the western edge of the Sila plateau. The borough likely formed at the end of the tenth century, after the Arab raids on Cosenza pushed settlement inland. The Sanctuary of San Francesco da Paola, founded in 1474, was the third monastery built by the Paolan saint and still anchors the historic centre. The territory reaches well beyond the village itself: the mountain hamlets of Camigliatello Silano, Croce di Magara and Moccone fall inside the commune, along with the Cupone visitor centre and wildlife enclosures of the Sila National Park, the Giants of the Sila (a stand of three-hundred-year-old larch pines), and a share of Lake Cecita, the largest lake in Calabria. Snow closes the high pastures in winter; in summer the same plateau becomes hiking, mushroom-gathering and grazing country.

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Gallery

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Known for

Santuario di San Francesco da Paola
Convent founded in 1474, the third monastery opened by the Paolan saint, with attached cloister at the head of the historic centre.
Chiesa di San Pietro
Parish church in the old village, the main religious anchor of the Spezzano centro storico.
Chiesa di San Biagio
Smaller historic church dedicated to the town's patron, part of the network of religious buildings inside the borgo.
Riserva Biogenetica di Cupone
Visitor centre, naturalistic museum and wildlife enclosures of the Sila National Park, on the shore of Lake Cecita inside the commune.
Giganti della Sila
Stand of giant larch and silver fir pines over three centuries old in the Fallistro reserve, protected by the FAI.
Lago Cecita
Artificial lake at around 1,140 meters on the Sila Grande, the largest in Calabria, shared with neighbouring communes.
Camigliatello Silano
Frazione at 1,272 meters, the commune's mountain resort, with ski lifts on Monte Curcio and a regular Sunday market.

When to visit

Best months · May–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

May through October is the long Sila season: the lifts on Monte Curcio stop, the plateau opens up to hikers, and Lake Cecita fills with anglers and picnickers. July and August are the busiest months because the cool air pulls Cosenza and Catanzaro residents up the hill to escape the coast. September and October bring porcini and chestnuts. November through April is quiet at 800 meters and snowed-in higher up; Camigliatello switches to ski mode from late December if there is snow, while the main village settles into a residential winter with most of the seasonal hotels closed.

How to get there

From Reggio Calabria, Spezzano della Sila is roughly 222 km by road. Allow about 190–266 minutes depending on traffic and route choice (autostrada vs scenic).

Drive time to the nearest gateway airports