Delianuova: the cherry village at the foot of the Aspromonte
Set at around 600 metres above sea level, where the last terraces of olive trees give way to the woods, Delianuova is one of the natural gateways to the Aspromonte National Park. The village, in the province of Reggio Calabria, grew from the merging of two old hamlets and still keeps an intimate atmosphere of narrow lanes, shady squares and bell towers rising among the roofs.
This is the village of cherries, of fresh mountain air and of paths climbing towards Montalto and the Pietra Cappa monolith. Anyone seeking silence, nature and genuine traditions will find here an ideal base from which to explore the heart of the Aspromonte, far from the crowds of the coast.
The village and its churches
Delianuova’s old town is best discovered on foot, losing yourself among narrow lanes, stairways and stone courtyards where time seems to slow down. The village’s religious heart is the Church of Maria SS. Assunta, wide and full of light, alongside the Church of San Nicola di Bari: together they tell of the deep devotion of a community that still lives its festivals and processions with intensity. As you wander you come across artisan workshops linked to woodworking, an old vocation of a village born among the forests. It is a place to savour slowly, pausing in the square in the shade of the bell towers or following the scent of bread and sweets baked for the festivities.
The Aspromonte, Pietra Cappa and nature
From Delianuova you step right into the Aspromonte National Park, among beech woods, firs and clearings where mushrooms and chestnuts are gathered in autumn. Paths climb towards the highest peaks, up to Montalto, from where the gaze takes in Calabria’s two seas. A little further south rises Pietra Cappa, a huge sandstone monolith regarded as one of the largest in Europe: a wall of rock that emerges from the forest like a silent giant, a favourite destination for hikers and climbers. It is still untouched nature, made of streams, blossoms and silence, ideal for those seeking trekking, fresh air and high-altitude views far from the heat of the coast.
How to get to Delianuova
By car you reach Delianuova from the A2 “del Mediterraneo” motorway: from the Bagnara or Gioia Tauro exit you climb inland along the roads that cross the villages of the Piana and the Aspromonte. From Reggio Calabria the journey takes a little over an hour, through scenic hairpin bends and changing landscapes, from olive groves to woodland. Sant’Eufemia d’Aspromonte is the neighbouring village along the same route. The handiest airports are Reggio Calabria and Lamezia Terme; the nearest railway station is on the Tyrrhenian coast, from where you continue by car or local connections. A vehicle of your own is best for exploring the trails and the mountain surroundings at your own pace.