Serra Pedace

Walking through the narrow streets of the village, you reach the Church of San Donato Vescovo e Martire, whose construction dates back to the 14th century. The three-nave building is in Romanesque style and has a Latin cross plan. The ceiling of the central nave of the church was frescoed in 1951 by Settimio Tancredi di Pietrafitta, while the right aisle has four altars dedicated to Saint Lucy, the Holy Family, Saint Francis of Paola and the Deposition, respectively. In the left aisle, there is a wooden baptismal font and a painting of St John baptising Jesus dated 1889. The marble high altar, above which hangs a large canvas depicting The Visit of the Magi, is reached by climbing four steps. Of great artistic value is the inlaid wooden choir, the work of Giuseppe Legnetti in 1871, who also created the screen at the entrance.

Serra Pedace is home to the Presila Ecological Museum, established in 2004, which includes sections on Palaeontology (approximately 96 fossils from all geological eras), Mineralogy (minerals and rocks from Calabria, some of which are very rare), Entomology (lepidoptera and various insects), Fauna (skulls of mammals that inhabit the Sila plateau) and a library containing books related to the various sections. The museum offers, especially to students, the opportunity to be involved and play an active role in positive change with a view to environmental sustainability.

The typical dish par excellence of Serra Pedace is Cuccia, which is prepared for the patron saint's festival. The wheat, of the 'carusa bianca' variety, is cleaned and then placed in a container filled with water and left to soak for at least 48 hours. It is then placed in a copper pot and boiled until cooked, while pork is cooked separately. At the end of the preparation, layers of meat and wheat are placed alternately in terracotta pots and then put in wood-fired ovens where they must remain for at least one night. Tradition dictates that this dish is eaten on Sundays, for breakfast and lunch.