Delianuova: two villages, green stone and Aspromonte trails

Delianuova sits at the foot of the Aspromonte, where the Piana di Gioia Tauro gives way to mountain woods: a village at around seven hundred metres above sea level, a single municipality only since 1878, when a royal decree of 27 January joined two separate centres, Pedavoli and Paracorio, under a new name.

That double origin still shows in the churches of San Nicola and the Assumption, in the lanes of the old town and in the green stone doorways, the local serpentinite worked by stonemasons until 1933. In Piazza Leuzzi, the Virtual Garibaldi Museum tells a more recent chapter, the 1862 Aspromonte campaign, when Giuseppe Garibaldi was stopped and wounded not far from here.

Beyond the built-up area the landscape changes quickly: chestnut and beech woods climb towards the Aspromonte National Park, with trails reaching as far as Montalto. It is a village best discovered on foot, between a carved doorway and the start of a mountain trail.

Pedavoli and Paracorio, a village born from two villages

Delianuova has existed as a single municipality only since 1878, but the village you see today still carries the marks of two separate centres: Pedavoli and Paracorio. A royal decree of 27 January 1878 sanctioned their union, and from 1 May that same year the new municipality took the name Delianuova. The earliest document attesting to Pedavoli dates to 1051, when the village already had water mills and fields sown with grain. Paracorio, instead, began as a refuge higher up the slope, founded by people who had left ancient Delia, near present-day Bova Marina, fleeing raids along the coast. The two communities are still legible in the churches: San Nicola di Bari belongs to Pedavoli's history, the church of the Assumption to Paracorio's. Walking the sloping lanes and stone courtyards of the old town still means crossing, without any clear boundary, from one centre into the other.

Green stone, the mark you notice on every corner

In Delianuova you often notice, on a doorway or a fountain, a colour different from the usual grey stone: it is green serpentinite, quarried for generations at Cotripa and worked by local stonemasons until 1933. This stone was used for doorways with monolithic lintels, carved balcony brackets, and the steps of both the Church of San Nicola and Piazza Leuzzi. On some of the older doorways you can still make out apotropaic masks, carved faces that, according to local tradition, were meant to keep bad luck away from the house, a motif found here since the seventeenth century. Of the four public fountains originally built, only one survived the 1783 earthquake that destroyed Paracorio. Following these traces around the village, without any fixed map, is the simplest way to understand why in Delianuova stone is a story written on the facades.

Chestnut and beech woods towards the national park

Delianuova is one of the municipalities within the Aspromonte National Park, and the difference is visible as soon as you leave the village: olive-planted hills quickly give way to woods of chestnut and beech, with stretches of silver fir and holm oak higher up. A landmark for walkers is the small Chiesetta della Madonna della Salute, at the entrance to the trails that climb towards the upper valley. From here start more demanding routes, such as the hiking link between Bova and Delianuova and the paths towards Montalto, the massif's highest peak. These are not walks to take lightly: an up-to-date track, trekking shoes, enough water and a check on weather conditions are needed, because the woodland changes altitude and microclimate quickly. For a shorter outing, the network of marked trails on the park's western side offers less demanding alternatives, within the same landscape of beech woods and chestnut groves.

The virtual Garibaldi museum and the events of 1862

In Piazza Leuzzi, in the heart of Delianuova, stands the Virtual Garibaldi Museum, opened in January 2011 as part of the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of Italian unification. The multimedia exhibition tells the story of the 1862 Aspromonte campaign through the multi-vision presentation Aspromonte 1862, created by Aldo Di Russo with material from the Spadolini Nuova Antologia Foundation in Florence and the Central Museum of the Risorgimento in Rome. On 29 August of that year Giuseppe Garibaldi, leading volunteers headed for Rome, was stopped by Royal Army bersaglieri on the massif, between Gambarie and Sant'Eufemia d'Aspromonte: struck by two carbine shots, in the hip and ankle, he was given first aid on the spot and then taken to Scilla. The episode, one of the most debated of the Italian Risorgimento, is still today one of the reasons people come to Delianuova, to retrace it through voices, images and period documents gathered in the museum.

The feasts of San Nicola and the Assumption, the woods in autumn

Delianuova's two patronal feasts still echo the village's double origin: on 6 December the community celebrates San Nicola di Bari, the saint of Pedavoli, and on 15 August it marks the Assumption, linked instead to Paracorio. These are the two dates around which the processions and the year's most heartfelt community moments are organised, one in winter, one at the height of summer. The pace of the village also changes in autumn, when the woods surrounding it open up for chestnut gathering, the fruit that speaks most of this land: centuries-old chestnut groves cover much of the park's western slope and for generations have provided both food and timber. In the same period, after the rains, the undergrowth yields mushrooms that local people gather following custom.

How to get to Delianuova

By car, the most convenient exit on the A2 del Mediterraneo motorway is Gioia Tauro, whether coming from north or south. From there you climb inland through Cannavà and Castellace, then towards Scido and on to Delianuova, a climb of around thirty kilometres through olive groves and increasingly dense woods. From Reggio Calabria the drive takes just over an hour, along scenic hairpin bends through landscape that changes altitude quickly. The nearest railway station is at Gioia Tauro, on the Tyrrhenian line, from where you continue by car or local connections. The reference airports are Reggio Calabria and Lamezia Terme, both linked to the coast by car rental, train or bus towards Gioia Tauro. Having your own vehicle is worthwhile, the only way to move at your own pace between the village, the trails and the nearby villages of the Piana.

What to see around Delianuova

From Delianuova you can quickly reach other landmarks of western Aspromonte and the Piana. Sant'Eufemia d'Aspromonte, along the same route up from the coast, is the nearest village and a good base for anyone heading further inland. Oppido Mamertina preserves an archaeological and religious heritage that rounds out the picture of local history, while Gambarie d'Aspromonte, higher up, is the best-known gateway to the National Park and is also linked to the same 1862 events told in Delianuova's museum. Heading down towards the Piana di Gioia Tauro, Cittanova offers an old town rich in religious buildings and a different, more urban pace. Before descending it is worth stopping at one of the panoramic points along the road, to take in the Aspromonte, the green heart of Reggio Calabria province, at its wildest.

Where to stay: holiday homes near Delianuova

Delianuova is easy to visit in a day from a holiday home on the Costa Viola, the coastal stretch under an hour's drive away that combines the sea with an ideal base for heading up into the Aspromonte. It's a practical solution especially if you're travelling as a family or small group: an apartment or small flat gives you the freedom of schedule that a hotel doesn't always offer, with your own kitchen to organise days between the beach in the morning and mountain trails or villages in the afternoon. From a base near Palmi you can take your time alternating between Delianuova's old town, the trails towards the national park and the beaches of the Costa Viola, without having to choose between sea and mountains every day. Check availability and send us a direct request: we'll help you choose the apartment that best suits your group.

Frequently asked questions about Delianuova

How far is Delianuova from the sea?
The nearest stretch of coast is the Piana and the Costa Viola: from there you climb up to Delianuova along about thirty kilometres of mountain road, the same one that leads to the Gioia Tauro motorway exit.

When is Delianuova's patron saint celebrated?
On 6 December, the feast of San Nicola di Bari, the patron linked to Pedavoli. On 15 August the community instead celebrates the Assumption, the feast representing the other historic centre, Paracorio.

What does the Virtual Garibaldi Museum tell?
The 1862 Aspromonte campaign, when Garibaldi was stopped and wounded by Royal Army bersaglieri between Gambarie and Sant'Eufemia d'Aspromonte, through documents, images and the multi-vision presentation Aspromonte 1862.

Where does the name Green Stone come from?
From the green serpentinite quarried at Cotripa and worked by local stonemasons until 1933: you can still find it in doorways, staircases and fountains around the old town.

Which motorway exit is closest to Delianuova?
The Gioia Tauro exit on the A2 del Mediterraneo, whether from north or south: from there you climb inland through Cannavà, Castellace and Scido.

Is Delianuova part of the Aspromonte National Park?
Yes, the municipal territory lies within the park and is one of its western access points, with chestnut and beech woods and trails towards the upper valley and Montalto.