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.
Known for
SILA NATIONAL PARK
Western gateway to the park, with the Cupone visitor centre, Lake Cecita and the Giants of the Sila inside the commune boundary.
SAN FRANCESCO DA PAOLA
The 1474 sanctuary, the third monastery founded by the Paolan saint, still standing in the centro storico.
CAMIGLIATELLO
The frazione at 1,272 meters with the Monte Curcio ski lifts, the commune's high-altitude side.
When to visit
Best · May–Oct
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
The festa: Biagio di Sebaste, 3 February
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.
The Sunday letter
We haven’t written Spezzano della Sila’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
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.
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Living here
- Population 4,218
- Commuter belti
- Pharmacy in town
- Nearest high school over ~30 minutes away
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Lamezia / Reggio, 1 h 43 min drive
- Regional capital Catanzaro, 1 h 56 min drive
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 800 m
- Population: 4,218
- Surface area: 80.29 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
More towns near Spezzano della Sila
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Caccuri
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🌲 Parco Nazionale
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