Lamezia

Italy

Things to do in Lamezia:

Lamezia Restaurants

Cheap (16)

Trattoria Pizzeria da Giovanni

Although it serves both pasta and meat dishes and offers seating, Giovanni specialises in wood-oven pizzas to go and Sicilian arancini rice balls - these ones are among the best in Calabria. read more
Affordable (18)

Paninoteca Triolo

This popular paninoteca is part of a mini-chain of sandwich bars. The restaurant is small and can get crowded on weekends, so arrive early. read more
Good quality (17)

Stella Maris

Stella Maris, which you'll find tucked in to a curve just past the port in Catanzaro Lido, serves some of the freshest seafood in the area. The fagioli di Cortale, beans from a nearby village, are... read more

Lamezia Nightlife

Chilled (18)

Bar I Tre Porcellini

This lively pub in the buzzing Piazza Vittorio Veneto serves over 100 types of bruschetta to the late-night crowd, as well as homemade yoghurt and pre-dawn pastries. read more
Live Music (17)

Z-One

Located on the main street in Catanzaro's historical centre, Z-One is an ideal place to have a beer while watching the locals stroll along the main street on their nightly passeggiata. read more
Clubbing (18)

Suite Disco

Inspired by the hit reality TV show Big Brother, Suite Disco has a bar that stretches from inside the club outwards and romantic pool lighting. Don't worry: there won't be cameras pointing at you... read more

This Month in Lamezia (March):

By Cherrye Moore/my-bellavita.com

Shopping: The Enoteca la Cascina is just off the main piazza in Catanzaro Lido and offers an impressive variety of Calabrian wine, as well as local specialities such as dried figs and chilli peppers (50 Via Corace, Catanzaro Lido).

Sightseeing: Father's day in Italy is celebrated on 19 March, the same day that the Feast of Saint Joseph takes place. Look for festivals throughout Calabria, specifically in Cosenza, where the holiday is celebrated in the main square.

Key areas: The Murat Castle in Pizzo was the execution site of Napoleon Bonaparte's brother-in-law, King Joachim Murat. Today it houses a museum, Murat memorabilia and a Napoleon library, and is just steps away from Pizzo's main piazza.

Day trips: Scilla, located an hour-and-a-half south, in the province of Reggio Calabria, is the mythological home of the sea monster Scylla, who allegedly attacked Ulysses on his way home from the Trojan War. It's a beautiful town soaked in history.

Lamezia Trivia

March: Calabria is the 10th-largest region in Italy, but it produces more than 25% of the nation's famous olive oil.
February: In the 15th century, Catanzaro became the silk producing capital of the world, supplying both silk and lace to the Vatican.
January: The term "paparazzi" is traced to a hotel proprietor - Mr Paparazzo - in Catanzaro who had English author George Gissing as his guest while penning his book By the Ionian Sea. The name was later borrowed by a scriptwriter working on La Dolce Vita, the film that propelled the use of the word into modern society.