Centro Visita Cupone

On Lake Cecita in the Sila National Park, Centro Visita Cupone occupies the site of a former state sawmill. The park’s environmental education centre brings together a botanical garden, geological garden, wildlife observation points, a museum and a nature trail designed for visitors with visual impairments.

Why it matters

Cupone connects the natural history of the Sila plateau with its working past. The park developed the centre in the buildings of a former state sawmill, where forestry and resin processing once shaped the local economy. Its gardens and educational displays interpret the area’s geology, plants and wildlife.

What to notice

The botanical garden covers about 10,400 square metres and presents 115 species of Calabrian mountain flora. A geological garden presents the granite foundations of the Sila, while wildlife observation points and a small museum complement the naturalistic setting. The centre also includes a 350-metre educational path with handrails, braille and large-print labels, and audio materials.

Context and history

Cupone’s site was part of the Sila’s industrial history. A state sawmill operated here, with resin from laricio pines processed into colophony and turpentine; the park records that resin and pitch production continued until about 1960. The former industrial compound now serves the park’s environmental education work beside Lake Cecita, in the municipality of Spezzano della Sila.