The Sanctuary of San Francesco da Paola is located in a luxuriant river valley in the hilly part of Paola, birthplace of the saint, Francis of Paola.
A large entrance square opens before the main façade of the ancient Basilica dating to the 16th century in late Renaissance style. The space inside is sparsely decorated with a lateral nave to the right composed of four small chapels and a Baroque chapel at the back which conserves relics of the saint: some clothing, bone fragments and a tooth. This, the oldest structure, also features a windowed cloister with rose beds, a garden with a wide variety of plants and wall frescoes narrating episodes from the saint’s life. Near the cloister is a bell tower and a hermitage with small, underground rooms.
The large modern basilica, inaugurated in 2000, and the Cucchiarella fountain are located on the righthand side of the sanctuary; a path illustrating the saint’s miracles leads to the Diavolo bridge and the cave of Penitence beside the Isca stream.
Fondazione Calabria Film Commission
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Email: info@calabriafilmcommission.it
