Ciminà
Where unspoilt nature meets authentic flavours
Town
Ciminà - Maria Antonietta Reale
A village nestled in the Aspromonte National Park, nestled in the valley and sheltered by an imposing rock face. Ciminà, in the province of Reggio Calabria, with its name (from the Greek kyminà) refers to cumin, a plant with therapeutic and culinary properties, which must have grown in abundance on this fertile land.
The village, made up of narrow streets that are like labyrinths, has characteristic houses carved into the tuff stone and is famous for its caciocavallo cheese, a true gastronomic excellence that has its origins in the Balkans and is now so precious that it has been awarded Slow Food Presidium status.
Ciminà is nestled in unspoilt natural surroundings, located in the valley below Mount Tre Pizzi and overlooking the Condojanni river. From here, there are picturesque scenic routes rich in woods and conifers, waterfalls and ancient water mills, a paradise for lovers of trekking and outdoor walks. This is the wild and spectacular Aspromonte, an authentic place that reveals the true Calabria. The same is true of the historic centre of Ciminà, which, seen from above, is a sea of rooftops enclosed by the village's two churches. The church dedicated to St. Nicholas of Bari dates back to the 17th century and has been damaged several times by earthquakes and renovated several times. It is a four-nave church with a marble altar surmounted by a wooden statue of the saint.
The church was founded in 1453 by Greeks and Albanians who arrived in this corner of southern Italy after the fall of Constantinople and found shelter and an ideal place for prayer and meditation in this village sheltered by rocks. Then it was the turn of the noble families, who left their mark on Ciminà. The Marullo family of Messina acquired the title of Counts of Condojanni from King Ferdinand II of Sicily and then sold the village to the Carafa family of Roccella Ionica, who remained in command until the abolition of feudalism. In 1811, Ciminà came under the control of the town of Gerace, at the behest of the Bourbons.
Today, Ciminà is a popular tourist destination for those who want to explore places where nature reveals itself in all its wonder, far from the routes of mass tourism, where customs and traditions are not artificial and the air is full of authenticity. Here, even the flavours tell the story of a true, authentic Calabria. Unique flavours, such as that of the delicious caciocavallo, ancestor of kaskaval, a stretched-curd cheese produced in the Balkans. Ciminà caciocavallo is the result of a tradition that is jealously guarded by the shepherds of Aspromonte and handed down from generation to generation. In addition to being a Slow Food Presidium, it is recognised as a Traditional Agri-Food Product (PAT).
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