Siderno

Between tradition and beauty

The characteristic Siderno is in Reggio Calabria’s metropolitan area, between Roccella and Locri. The town is not only one of the cleanest coastal resorts on the peninsula, so much so that it is in the Legambiente and Italian Touring Club Guida Blu (Blue Guide), but also a charming medieval village, rich in alleys and ancient dwellings.

The geographical position of Siderno, rising majestically to a 192-metre height overlooking a cobalt blue sea is striking. Hence the division of the town into Siderno Superiore, an ancient medieval village, and Siderno Marina, a popular seaside resort.

Little remains of the original city walls that protected the upper part of the town in the 16th century, but thanks to archaeological finds, first of all, the Byzantine kastron, we know that Siderno started out as a fortified centre. The upper part of the town is full of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century aristocratic palaces, with their peculiar barrel-vaulted balconies and stone portals.

There are also many religious buildings, including the Parish Church, dedicated to Santa Maria di Portosalvo, which stands in the centre of Siderno Marina and is worth a visit for the works of local artists housed inside.