Population: 2,538
Official website: Buonvicino
Wikipedia: n/a
Map: MapQuest

See: Buonvicino.Net (Italiano)

In the mountains, 10 kilometers from the sea, Buonvicino (or “The Good Neighbour” as the village would be named in English) perches in a precarious position, overlooking a sprawling valley blanketed in vine-yards and olive groves.  The valley and town, both of which are overlooked by the enormous statue of San Ciriaco, are an impressive site. 

This town, near what is now Santa Maria del Cedro, is one of the most interesting villages on the Cedri Rivieria, architecturally, historically and culturally.  It once served as an important and strategic Sybarite (Greek) colony and as a key holding point for commercial goods between Sibari in Calabria’s south and Laos further to the north.   

The villagers here also claim that Buonvicino is the home of "pastasciutta" or spaghetti with tomato sauce.  Today, there are many restaurants on the way to Buonvicino where visitors can taste authentic home-made pasta from its place of origin. 

There have been numerous archaeological excavations in and around Buonvicino, which have revealed numerous Greek artifacts, some wrought in gold, including vases and coins, pointing to the fact that Buonvicino was once a very rich and regal town. 

All the empires that have been through Calabria have occupied Buonvicino, from the Greeks to the Romans to the Byzantines.  Not surprising, a walk through the town, brings visitors face to face with numerous testaments from history which speak to empires nearly forgotten.