The town was born around an abbey: the one Joachim of Fiore founded in 1188, deep in the woods of the Sila, where the Calabrian monk wrote his prophecies about the three ages of the world. Dante placed him in Paradise, «endowed with prophetic spirit»; the English scholar Marjorie Reeves, who revived his study, is an honorary citizen.
The town stands at 1,048 metres, perched on Monte Difesa, and is the second largest comune in Calabria by area: 61% of its land lies inside the Sila national park, among Corsican pines, beech woods and the artificial lakes of Arvo and Ampollino. Its symbol is the Norman Arch, which is in fact Swabian. There are 17,912 residents.
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📅 Every year, three days of festivities culminating on 24 June with a solemn procession
San Giovanni in Fiore celebrates Saint John the Baptist and Saint Francis Xavier with three days of festivities culminating on 24 June in a solemn procession; the town is linked to the figure of Abbot Joachim of Fiore, who founded the Florensian Abbey here in the 12th century.
Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
The closest destinations covered by our editors, with straight-line distance.
Outside San Giovanni in Fiore, but an easy day trip away.
