A day in Buonvicino, among The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy

Today we take you to Buonvicino, one of The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy in the province of Cosenza, a place of "good neighbourliness" as its name and an old local legend suggest, but above all of good food.

The village awaits us perched on a hill overlooking the Corvino torrent, in the Pollino National Park area, at the foot of Mount Orsomarso, ready to tell us its story and show us the wonders of its 19 districts scattered throughout the valley below. The first of the Pollino villages to apply the tourist formula of the so-called "diffuse hotel" with the name "Borgo dei Greci" (from the locality Sasso dei Greci), Buonvicino opens its ancient doors to us.

Born in the mid-14th century from the union of three hamlets, Salvato, Tripidone and Triggiano, thanks to the intercession of Basilian monks to re-establish "good neighbourly" relations, the current ancient village of Buonvicino is a maze of alleys and noble palaces. In fact, the history of the old town is intertwined with that of the great feudal families of the area, whose sumptuous palaces can still be admired today. Among the most important in the old town is certainly De Paola Palace, belonging to the barons of Malvito, in turn linked to the Cavalcanti, whose late 17th century Ducal Palace can be seen in Contrada Lago.

Three other important palaces, which belonged to the Cauteruccio family, make up the accommodation network of the diffuse hotel known as "Borgo dei Greci", which also includes the restored building that now houses the MAGB - Buonvicino Museum of Arts and Taste. To all intents and purposes, the museum represents the historical memory of the town, as it is made up of 5 sections dedicated to narrating the main aspects of the community and the territory: Archaeology, Sacred Art, Popular Art, Contemporary Art and Environmental Heritage. One room, the "taste" room, is dedicated to Ippolito Cavalcanti, duke of Buonvicino and gastronome at the Bourbon court who lived between the 18th and 19th centuries, author of a theoretical-practical Treatise on Cuisine with over 1000 recipes.

Among the religious buildings is the Mother Church dedicated to the local saint, San Ciriaco Abate, who ruled the Monastery of Santa Maria dei Padri and is today depicted in a bronze bust in the centre of the town. Among the places linked to the figure of the saint is the San Ciriaco Cave with adjoining church, in the Corvino Valley, the anchorite cavity where the hermit lived between the 10th and 11th centuries. A short distance up the valley, one also reaches the Shrine of the Madonna della Neve.

The village of Buonvicino is the ideal starting point for a series of excursions in and around the Pollino National Park, served by a rich and efficient network of trails. One of the most fascinating natural sites to visit during a trek in Buonvicino is undoubtedly the Sasso dei Greci, an ancient settlement of a community of Greek origin downstream from Villaggio Serapodolo, a place rich in crystal-clear water springs. A gem? Near the Sasso, a colony of around 50 different types of wild orchid finds its ideal habitat.

Among the things to do in Buonvicino, food-related activities and tastings top the list. A town that was once ruled by Ippolito Cavalcanti, whom today we would call a "gourmet advisor" to the Bourbons, Buonvicino pays tribute to the illustrious chef with an unmissable seasonal event: "Rapsodia d'Autunno", an evening that local restaurants dedicate to the creation of his recipes. Other ideal times of year to visit Buonvicino? On 4 and 5 August, on the occasion of the Madonna della Neve Feast, when the shrine at an altitude of 800 metres resounds with tarantellas and songs; mid-September, when the patron saint's feast of San Ciriaco is celebrated with an evocative procession through the Corvino Valley.

The exhibition ‘’A Different Tale‘’ represents a unique cultural project, designed to enhance some of Calabria's most fascinating villages through the art of illustration. Sixteen talented Calabrian authors have reinterpreted places, stories and popular traditions linked to these villages, creating modern works full of personality.

Presented in Melbourne and New York in October 2024, the exhibition celebrates Calabrian identity in a dialogue between tradition and innovation, involving an international audience.

Carla Tomaino, in art La Faccia della Luna, created the illustration of the village of Buonvicino (CS). A graphic designer and illustrator from Calabria, she cultivated her passion for art by attending a three-year degree in Graphic Art and specialising in Graphic Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Catanzaro.

After her studies, she dedicated herself to illustration with the aim of telling emotions through an essential and versatile style. Her works, characterised by light lines and blurred colours, evoke a sense of magic and lightness, renewing themselves with each creation.