San Cono
Welcome to San Cono: history, culture and Calabrian tradition
Hello friends! Today I want to talk to you about San Cono, a small town in the municipality of Cessaniti, located in the beautiful province of Vibo Valentia in Calabria. Are you ready to discover the history, culture and tradition of this wonderful village?
Origins of the name
San Cono di Teggiano, a Benedictine monk, is the patron saint of the town, but according to some researchers, the name would have been given by San Cono the Thaumaturge, a martyr in 250 AD. Whatever the true origin of the name, San Cono is a place with ancient and mysterious charm.
History
San Cono is a town that has undergone many upheavals in its history. In 1638, an earthquake caused damage to more than half of the houses. Then, the town was completely destroyed in the earthquake of 1783, causing deaths and extensive damage. Most of the survivors moved to the adjacent countryside, in wooden homes (shacks) built on the land of the then wealthy Bisogni family. Those who remained, due to their poverty, continued to live in the damaged houses. With the decree of Gioacchino Murat in 1808, San Cono became a fraction of the municipality of Cessaniti.
Monuments and places of interest
The parish of San Cono was established during the diocesan synod celebrated by Monsignor Ottavio Paravicino in the 17th century. The church of San Cono was under the title of the parish of Sant'Iconio and was served by the parish priest of the nearby town of San Marco, which is about one kilometer away. In the parish church, a charred finger of the patron saint San Cono is preserved, but it is not known how this relic came to the village. A legend is passed down of a miraculous episode in which, after the destruction of the town by the earthquake of 1783, the relic would have been lost and subsequently found by a citizen of the nearby San Marco. Incredulous, the said farmer would have put it in a brazier with burning fire to prove that it belonged to San Cono, but the finger would not have burned, on the contrary it would have jumped from the fire and hit the unbeliever in an eye.
Culture
Cuisine
The local cuisine of San Cono is rich in flavors and delicacies. Among the most famous typical dishes are the nacatula, a sweet made with eggs and flour, spun and twisted, fried in olive oil and covered with cotton candy. This sweet is the star of the sweet fair, which takes place every year on August 12th.
San Cono is a small town but rich in history, culture and tradition. If you are looking for an authentic place to discover the real Calabria, San Cono is the right place for you!
