Paola
Paola is located in Cosenza Province just west of Montalto Uffugo. Nestled between the mountains and the sea this city is best known for it's most famous and holy resident, Saint Francis of Paola (San Francesco di Paola).
Every year the annual feast of Saint Francis is held between April 2 through the 4th and residents of the Province come to Paola to honor the saint who is the Patron Saint of Cosenza Province and Calabria. More about Saint Francis in the section below. Paola today has about 17,759 residents called Paolani. To the south of Paola is San Lucido and to the north is Fuscaldo. The Sanctuary of Saint Francis of Paola is the religious center of the comune and it's biggest tourist attraction, but besides the sanctuary, this comune boasts a number of other churches which will be listed below.
Paola is home to the Patron Saint of Calabria; Saint Francis of Paola. Read about him here
As you can see from the pictures on this page, Paola has an ancient charm with it's older light colored buildings and beautiful wrought iron balconies. It has ruins of an old castle on the beach that sparks your imagination with images of what the castle once was before the damage of hundreds of years of earthquakes, sea air and time had ravaged it. Pirates were a problem when this castle was young. The Tower Of The Clock in the Piazza del Popolo was built by Jesuit craftsmen in the 1600's and has not only withstood the centuries, but a number of major earthquakes. Paola is located between mountain ranges and the sea. It's landscapes are beautiful.
Churches of Paola
The most visited religious institution is The Sanctuary of Saint Francis of Paola. But the city has many other churches. Below is a list of all the churches in Paola.
- Chiesetta Madonna delle Grazie
- San Agostino
- Chiesa Addolorata
- Chiesa del Rosario
- Chiesa San Giacomo
- Chiesa dei Cappuccini (o di S.Giovanni)
- Chiesa di San Giuseppe
- Chiesa di San Leonardo
- Chiesa di San Margherita
- Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angeli
- Chiesa di Santa Maria di Porto Salvo
- Chiesa Madonna del Carmine
- Chiesa di San Michele
My family connection to Paola
My grandfather Giuseppe Napolitano was born in Montalto Uffugo but prior to coming to America he lived in Paola for a few years. He was living or working in Paola until 1912 when he had his Army Physical. You can read more about Giuseppe on our sister site Montalto Uffugo Net His half sister Emilia DeSeta married Peppino Sinforoso on October 11, 1919 in Paola. If you know of any Napolitano's, DeSeta's or Sinforoso's from Paola please Contact Us. Since my grandfather's family has been lost to us through distance and time, I would really like to make contact with them. I would also love to see pictures of them. I am having a difficult time finding any Sinforoso's in Italy. Any information would be appreciated.
More Information Coming Soon!
Paola is home to the Patron Saint of Calabria;
Saint Francis of Paola. Read about him here.
Our thanks to David Ayoub for the awesome photographs of Paola on this page.