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A holiday to live in colour

What to see in italy: Palmi the City of Varia, the UNESCO Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Among our recommendations on what to see in Calabria, we present Palmi

    Palmi, a city rich in history and charm, has been inhabited since the Bronze Age and was founded in 951 by refugees from Tauriana. Despite the devastating earthquakes that have struck it over the centuries, Palmi has always risen again more beautiful and captivating. The last earthquake in 1908 destroyed it completely, but did not extinguish its soul.

Situated on a terrace 228 metres above sea level, Palmi lies on an ancient marine beach on the western side of Calabria, between Aspromonte and the Tyrrhenian Sea. The highest point is Mount Sant'Elia, 582 metres above sea level, and its beaches, from Marinella to Tonnara, ravines and caves, crown the northern part of the purple coast.

The town is shrouded in ancient legends, such as that of the beautiful young widow Canfora, abducted by the Saracens and thrown into the sea, who turned into a mermaid and whose melancholic song is still heard today by the fishermen of the Purple Coast. All this against a breathtaking panoramic backdrop, stretching from Capo Vaticano to Stromboli, passing through the archipelago of the Aeolian Islands and up to the heights of Mount Etna, after touching the southernmost part of Calabria in the Strait of Messina

What to see in italy: Palmi the City of Varia, the UNESCO Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

• History

• Palmi

• reviews

• HOLIDAY HOUSES

Accommodation in Palmi

If you're planning a trip to Palmi, Calabria, don't miss out on the best restaurants and accommodations for your stay. Find out where to eat and sleep in Palmi

• EATING

• Accomodation

House of culture "Leonida Repaci"

One of the cultural pearls of Palmi is the "Leonida Repaci" House of Culture, inaugurated in 1980 and dedicated to the writer and founder of the Viareggio prize, Leonida Repaci. With a privileged position on the hill and a large garden adorned with bronze sculptures and Roman columns, the modern and functional building houses a vast collection of art and culture including a library with over 100,000 volumes, a Civic Museum of Ethnography and Folklore recognized by 'UNESCO, a Municipal Antiquarium, Museums dedicated to Francesco Cilea and Nicola Antonio Manfroce, a investigating judge. The "Leonida Repaci" House of Culture is one of the many places to visit in Calabria, particularly in Palmi, and cannot be missing from the list of those who want to discover the culture and history of this Italian region.

• HOUSE OF CULTURE

Municipal Villa "Giuseppe Mazzini

The 'Giuseppe Mazzini' municipal villa is Palmi's public garden and is included in the list of national monuments. The villa stands in the city centre and from its balcony you can admire the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Straits of Messina, the Aeolian Islands, Bagnara Calabra and Scilla.

It is an enchanting place, opened in 1870. With a spectacular view stretching from Capo Vaticano to the Aeolian Islands, it ideally embraces Calabria and Sicily separated by the Strait of Messina. Designed by the botanist and agronomist Enrico Fehr in 1847, it was immortalised in a painting by the English writer and painter Edward Lear. Equipped with night lighting, it is dedicated to Giuseppe Mazzini and contains various botanical species including American maple, Californian palm, stone pine, cycas, and a rare specimen of the antiscimian tree native to Peru. It also includes a stage for music, a monumental fountain and busts of Palmese and national personalities. In August, during the celebrations of the Varia, elections of the animeddha and the Padreterno are held in the garden.

• The municipal villa 'Giuseppe Mazzini

Leonida Repaci was an Italian writer, essayist, poet, playwright, painter and anti-fascist.
He edited several newspapers and founded the Viareggio Literary Prize; not least, Federico Fellini chose him for a part in the film La Dolce Vita. Repaci wrote for the theatre and was inspired by his beloved homeland to which he often returned to conceive intimate stories with a familiar flavour, such as the Rupe Brothers cycle and Racconti della mia Calabria. After the intellectual's death, the Pietrosa house was abandoned for years, until it was decided to carry out a complete restoration with funding from the Calabria Region.

Leonida Repaci" house

• Leonida Repaci" house
  
  

• Leonida Repaci

• video

I May Square

• I May Square

• Fountain of the palm

The Tracciolino trail

• The Tracciolino

• VIDEO

Port Oreste (ROVAGLIOSO)

• Port Oreste

• video

 Archaeological Park of the Tauriani

• The Park

• Taureana

• The Temple

• video

Mount Saint Elias

Sant'elia owes its name to Sant'elia juniore, who lived in this area in the year 884 A.D. He had a church built, which unfortunately fell into disrepair due to repeated seismic events. Nestled on the slopes of Sant'elia, we find Palmi.

From its terraces one can enjoy one of the most impressive views in the world. What leaves one breathless is, above all, the cista of Etna (and its still active volcanoes), volcano and Stromboli, the Gioia Tauro plain, Monte poro and Capo Vaticano

• Mount Saint Elias

• REVIEWS

Marinella of Palmi

• video

• The Marinella

• MAPS

Pignarelle caves

• The Caves

• video

Trachina Caves

• The Caves

The beach of Palmi and the Olive Tree Rock

• The beach of Palmi

• celebration of the virgin of the altomare
  
  
  
  

• The Olive Tree Rock

• video

The "Varia of Palmi"

The varia di Palmi is an exciting experience that transports you into a world of faith and tradition. What to see in Calabria? You cannot miss a visit to this unique event that features a gigantic 16-metre high sacred chariot, transported by no less than 200 people, representing Mary's ascent to heaven and the entire universe. A number of figures representing the eternal father, the animella, apostles and angels also take their places on the float. The festival, which attracts thousands of visitors every edition, has been included in the UNESCO list of Oral and Material Heritage of Humanity and is one of the most important celebrations in Calabria. It is celebrated on the last Sunday of August and is dedicated to Maria Santissima della lettera, the co-patron saint of the city. The history of the varia begins in 1582 when the Senate of Messina donated a precious hair of the Madonna to the inhabitants of Palmi as a sign of gratitude for the hospitality offered to the people of Messina affected by the plague that had claimed thousands of victims. 

• The Varia

• The Virgin Mary of the Letter

• The Relic
  
  

• video

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