Casali del Manco

Part of Casali del Manco, Pedace boasts ancient origins. In its historic centre, you can admire the 16th century Mother Church of SS. Pietro e Paolo, with its central rose window and detached bell tower; the Church of S. Maria di Monte Oliveto, dating back to 1563; the Church of Addolorata and the Convent of San Francesco di Paola, a pilgrimage destination nestled in a rocky lamia among ancient mills and troughs. Among the village festivals not to be missed is the Pecorella Feast (in September, in honour of Our Lady of Sorrows), associated with the pagan ritual of the Fire Horse and the tasting of the typical local dish: cuccìa, boiled wheat with pork rinds and goat meat.

The second area that falls within the Casali del Manco is Serra Pedace, a cosy historical centre along the Cardone stream and chestnut groves. Piazza Vittorio Veneto is the daily meeting point and seasonal events, such as the famous Chestnut Festival. Not to be missed: the 14th-century Church of San Donato Vescovo e Martire, in Romanesque style and rich in works of art; the Presila Ecological Museum (with its Palaeontology, Entomology and Fauna sections and annexed Library). A few kilometres from the centre of Serra Pedace is the hamlet of Silvana Mansio, famous for its railway station from which the historic Sila Train departs, the only one with a working steam locomotive.

Part of Casali del Manco are also the territories of Spezzano Piccolo (whose historical centre hosts numerous churches and works of art, starting with the 15th-century Mother Church of the Assunta, with a detached bell tower), Trenta and Casole Bruzio, quiet hamlets immersed in the green of the Sila.