The city of San Giovanni in Fiore, in the province of Cosenza, is one of the largest and most populated municipalities within the Sila National Park.
The center of San Giovanni in Fiore alternates modern shops with artisan workshops where raw materials are shaped by the skilled hands of craftsmen. Walking through the historic center, it is common to encounter artisans at work on the threshold of their workshops.
The center is populated with ancient churches such as the Mother Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie from 1576 and 18th-century noble palaces like Palazzo Lopez, home to the Municipal Library.
Here lived and worked Abbot Gioacchino, who lived in the second half of the 1100s. An important figure of the time, still studied by theologians and philosophers today for having freed people from the fear of the end of time. The thought of Gioacchino da Fiore is found in the images of his Liber Figurarum, also used by Dante Alighieri for the representation of the Holy Trinity. The city owes its name to him, and he himself signed his testamentary letter as Abbot of Fiore. The International Center for Gioachimite Studies is dedicated to him, committed to making the figure of Gioacchino da Fiore known and spreading his thought worldwide.
It was Abbot Gioacchino, along with other monks of the new order he created, who founded the Florense Abbey, one of the most important places of worship in Calabria. An imposing structure where bare stone reigns supreme, symbolizing the simplicity of the life of the Florense monks, free from unnecessary embellishments.
Inside the Florense Abbey, the Demological Museum of the economy, labor, and social history of Sila is housed, displaying work tools from various production cycles, from agriculture to pastoralism, shoemaking to textiles, and goldsmithing.
Goldsmithing and textiles are two of the historic activities of San Giovanni in Fiore that have resisted modernity. Even today, textile artisans and goldsmiths handcraft their works, many of which are dedicated to the history and culture of San Giovanni in Fiore, featuring images from Abbot Gioacchino's Liber Figurarum.
Places to visit near San Giovanni in Fiore:
- Lake Arvo in the Lorica area of San Giovanni in Fiore
- Cupone Visitor Center
- Sila Science Park
