A pearl of the Ionian Sea: Borgia between sea, leisure and art

Borgia is one of the most popular tourist centers in the Catanzaro area. The historic center is nestled on the hills, but the town is very close to the Ionian Sea with a coastline of about 6 kilometers of white sand and suggestive olive trees. The main street is Corso Mazzini while the most important square is Piazza Ortona where the Romanesque-style cathedral dedicated to San Giovanni Battista, the patron saint of the city, is also located. The building was destroyed by the earthquake of 1783 and then rebuilt in the centuries to come, until 1853 when it was completed. The interiors are finely decorated. In the same square you can admire a suggestive war memorial depicting the Madonna with a soldier. Every year, on Easter Sunday, the 'Confrunta' takes place, a very heartfelt event which consists of a procession that ends with the meeting between the Madonna and the risen Christ. In the civic building it is possible to admire several examples of art such as the paintings by Carmelo Fodaro, a native of Borgia, and other works such as a precious table by Salvatore Ferragina. Last two stops: the church of the Santissimo Rosario, also rebuilt after the earthquake and the church of the Immaculate, in Romanesque style with the rose window depicting the Madonna.