Taurianova: its squares, traditions and the Plain of Gioia Tauro
In the heart of the Plain of Gioia Tauro, among the expanses of olive and citrus groves that separate the Aspromonte from the Tyrrhenian coast, Taurianova is a lively, hard-working town far from mass tourism. Its airy squares, churches and palaces tell of a community that loves to gather outdoors, while the calendar is marked by deeply felt festivals and the fireworks that have made it famous across Calabria.
Named Italian Capital of the Book in 2021, Taurianova combines culture and folk tradition. It is also a convenient, quiet base for exploring the Plain, heading up to the woods of the Aspromonte and reaching the sea and the great port of Gioia Tauro in just a few minutes.
The town centre, the squares and places to see
Taurianova was born from the union of two ancient settlements, Radicena and Iatrinoli, and this twofold soul can still be read in its squares today. Piazza Italia, the heart of the town, is the open-air living room where people meet among cafés and arcades; not far away, Piazza della Libertà, with its monument and tree-lined spaces, invites a quiet stroll. Among the places not to miss is the Monastery of the Visitation, with its sober façade, together with the churches and palaces that dot the centre. Walking unhurriedly is the best way to grasp the authentic rhythm of a town that lives in its streets every day.
Traditions, fireworks and the culture of the Plain
In Taurianova, festivals are a collective language. On Easter Sunday the Affruntata takes place, the popular re-enactment of the meeting between the Madonna and the risen Christ, experienced with great participation in the square. In summer and autumn the devotion to the Madonna della Montagna brings spectacular illuminations and, above all, fireworks: Taurianova’s pyrotechnics are renowned across Calabria and light up the sky of the Plain with true symphonies of light. Alongside this folk soul there is a cultural one: in 2021 Taurianova was named Italian Capital of the Book, a recognition that revived libraries, festivals and literary events. All of this is set among the landscapes of the Plain of Gioia Tauro, a land of extra-virgin olive oil and fragrant citrus.
The Plain, the Aspromonte and how to get there
Taurianova is an excellent base for discovering the Plain of Gioia Tauro: the centuries-old olive groves and the citrus orchards that surround it offer a unique farming landscape, ideal for walks and for tasting local oil and produce. Inland you quickly climb up into the Aspromonte, with its woods and viewpoints; to the west, in just a few minutes, you reach the sea and the port of Gioia Tauro, one of the largest in the Mediterranean. By car it is easily reached from the A2 “del Mediterraneo” motorway (Salerno–Reggio Calabria), exiting at Rosarno or Gioia Tauro and then a few kilometres inland. The reference airports are Reggio Calabria and Lamezia Terme, both about an hour away; the nearest railway stations are on the coast, from which you continue by car or with local connections.