A cone of houses at the foot of the Pollino
At the foot of the Pollino massif, in northern Calabria, Morano Calabro is one of the most spectacular villages in southern Italy, one of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia": its houses, tightly packed one above the other, cover an entire conical hill, rising to the top where the ruins of the Norman castle stand, so that, seen from the motorway or from the valley, the village looks like a nativity scene or a pyramid of stone. Its name derives, according to tradition, from the Latin "Muranum", a station on the Roman road Popilia. Walking through its steep lanes, steps and small squares, among stone portals and views over the mountains, is a journey back in time.
Morano preserves remarkable works of art for such a small town. The Collegiata della Maddalena, with its dome covered in majolica tiles that shines in the sun, preserves Baroque altars and sculptures, and a splendid polyptych by the Venetian painter Bartolomeo Vivarini, of 1477. The church of San Bernardino da Siena, of the fifteenth century, has a beautiful wooden ceiling and a portico. Morano is also the gateway to the Parco Nazionale del Pollino, the largest national park in Italy, between Calabria and Basilicata, famous for the pino loricato, the Bosnian pine that grows on its highest peaks; in the village, the Museo Naturalistico del Pollino illustrates its nature and wildlife. In the surroundings, there are trails, mountain huts and, in the plain, the medieval church of Colloreto.
Tip: photograph the village from the road below at sunset, when it turns golden; then climb the lanes to the castle.
Where it is
More things to see in Calabria
Where to stay near Morano Calabro
Tours and activities nearby
Offers from GetYourGuide. Some links are affiliate links: if you book we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.