The Archaeological Park of the Tauriani at Taureana di Palmi

The Archaeological Park of the Tauriani occupies a plateau some seventy metres above the sea, in the Taureana district of Palmi: three hectares of olive trees and Mediterranean scrub in which four thousand years of history can be read, one layer above the other. Here stood Tauriana, the main centre of the Tauriani — one of the peoples of pre-Roman Calabria — and later a Roman town, abandoned around 951.

This is not a monumental site and does not try to be one. You walk along a Roman paved road with its slabs still in place, look at the walls of the House of the Mosaic, stand above the spectacle building that could hold three thousand people, and reach the crypt of San Fantino, among the oldest Christian places of worship in Calabria. An hour is enough, with the Costa Viola sea always at the end of your gaze.

The park is named after Antonio De Salvo, was inaugurated in 2011, and since 2020 its openings have been run by the volunteers of the Movimento Culturale San Fantino. Admission costs 3 euros, reduced 1.50.

The Roman road and the town of the Tauriani

The Tauriani were one of the peoples of pre-Roman Calabria and Tauriana was their main centre: a town in a strategic position, by the sea and along the roads that crossed ancient Bruttium. The most striking piece of its layout survives in the stretch of Roman paved road, its great slabs still in place. Around it ran the houses, workshops and places of worship of a settlement that went on living for centuries, until it was abandoned around 951. Earlier still, on the same plateau, stood the huts of a Bronze Age village, and the fragments of Mycenaean pottery found in the excavations speak of exchanges with the Aegean.

The House of the Mosaic and the bear hunt

The richest building brought to light is the so-called House of the Mosaic, named after the figured floor of its banqueting hall: a hunting scene with riders, spears and a wounded bear. In the same room archaeologists found a bronze couch decorated with silver and precious stones, the kind of object only the powerful could afford. Mosaic and couch are no longer here: both are on show at the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria, the one that holds the Riace Bronzes. What remains in the park are the walls and the plan of the house, enough to grasp how the ruling class of a town facing the Tyrrhenian Sea actually lived.

The spectacle building: three thousand seats

On the flank of the plateau stands the park’s most unusual structure: a spectacle building shaped like a theatre but built as an amphitheatre, designed for gladiatorial combat and used on occasion for performances as well. It could hold around three thousand spectators, a figure that alone says how much Tauriana mattered: a town able to fill a structure like this was no village. Today you can see the curved brick wall that closed off the arena and the tier where the audience sat, with olive trees grown up all around.

The sanctuary and the Palace of Donna Canfora

On the western edge of the plateau, where the ground falls away towards the sea, lie the remains of the urban sanctuary: a high podium, roughly ten metres by twenty, and a portico closing an open space on three sides with the temple at its centre. It is an architectural form with no other example in ancient Calabria. Local tradition calls it the Palace of Donna Canfora, after a legendary woman of extraordinary beauty; the popular story outlived the building’s real function, which only the excavations established. Beside it lie the necropolises, which document the funerary rites of the town.

San Fantino and the Christian origins

The last Tauriana is a Christian one. In the sacred area of the park stand the church of San Fantino and, beneath it, the crypt: an early-Christian space counted among the oldest places of worship in Calabria, with medieval frescoes. San Fantino the Elder, known as the Wonderworker, lived at Tauriana in the 4th century and has been venerated ever since; the sanctuary dedicated to him went on drawing people even when the town around it had emptied. It is the part of the park that deserves the most unhurried visit, and it has a guide of its own on this site.

Visiting the park: hours, tickets, getting there

The park belongs to the state and comes under the heritage authority of Reggio Calabria, but since 2020 its openings and guided tours have been entrusted to the volunteers of the Movimento Culturale San Fantino — which is why it manages to stay open with any regularity. Admission costs 3 euros, reduced 1.50. Hours follow the season: in summer it opens every day until sunset, while in the colder months openings cluster on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Booking on +39 377 397 6017 remains the safest route.

The entrance is at via del Vescovato 181, in Taureana: leave the A2 motorway at Palmi and carry on towards the coast; from the centre of Palmi it is a few minutes by car. The whole route is outdoors on natural ground, so bring comfortable shoes and water. In summer the late afternoon is the right time, not least because the park hosts concerts and evening events.

What to see around Taureana

Taureana is more than the park: below the plateau lies Pietrenere beach, with the watchtower that overlooks it, and the district has a guide of its own on this site. The centre of Palmi, with its House of Culture and the Varia festival, is a few minutes away; above the town, Monte Sant’Elia opens one of the widest views on the Costa Viola, from the Strait to the Aeolian Islands. For the sea there is Marinella and the other beaches along the coast, and for a meal the guide to the restaurants of Palmi.

Where to stay: holiday homes in Palmi and Taureana

Want to combine history, nature and sea? Staying between Palmi and Taureana puts you a stone’s throw from the Park of the Tauriani, the Costa Viola beaches and the centre of Palmi. A holiday home offers you your own space, an independent kitchen and the freedom to plan your days between archaeological sites, sea and villages. Our options range from one-bedroom flats for couples to apartments for families and groups, many with sea views or surrounded by greenery. Check availability and send us a direct request: together we will find the right home for your holiday in Calabria.

Frequently asked questions about the Park of the Tauriani

How much is a ticket?
Three euros full price, one euro fifty reduced.

When is it open?
Hours change with the season: every day until sunset in summer, and mainly Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays the rest of the year. To be sure, book on +39 377 397 6017.

How long does a visit take?
An hour covers the main route; with the crypt of San Fantino and a pause to look at the sea, an hour and a half is comfortable.

Where did the bear-hunt mosaic end up?
At the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria, together with the silver-decorated bronze couch found in the same room.

Are the park and the crypt of San Fantino two separate visits?
No: the crypt lies within the same sacred area of the park and is seen on the same walk.

Is it suitable for children?
Yes. You walk outdoors on natural ground, so closed shoes are needed, but the Roman road and the arena of the spectacle building are exactly the kind of thing children enjoy.

How do you get there?
Via del Vescovato 181, Taureana di Palmi: take the Palmi exit off the A2 and head towards the coast. From the centre of Palmi it is a few minutes by car.