San Floro

The little town of San Floro, in the Corace valley in the province of Catanzaro, is surrounded by orchards and olive groves but opens onto the blue sea of the Orange Tree Coast, on the Ionian Riviera.

Since ancient times, the unusual microclimate has helped make San Floro a regional landmark for mulberry growing - hence sericulture, an activity that underpins the production of prized Catanzaro silk.

Located along a true Silk Road in Calabria, San Floro lived for centuries on this prized, identity-defining crop, and today has turned it into a successful business. An ancient history, which since the arrival of the Greek-Byzantine monks, bearers of silkworms from the East, has evolved thanks to a local cooperative that has restored the production chain and made yarns for the world's largest fashion houses. If you are keen to discover the secrets of San Floro silk, you can visit the cooperative, which is also an educational farm offering activities for young and old, and the Silk Museum, housed in the splendid Caracciolo Castle, in the historic centre of San Floro. 

The castle stands right in the main square, which is a panoramic terrace overlooking the Corace Valley, near the Church of St Nicholas. Inside, the reconstructed "museum-factory" displays not only the splendid local silk and ceramic artefacts, but also the tools used in ancient times to make them, including natural colour pigments, ancient looms and some period costumes made from pure Catanzaro silk. Nature lovers can visit the famous Campo di Girasoli (sunflower field) on the outskirts of the town, near the old mill that has been put back into operation, and the La Pineta nature area.