The village people are among the historical Albanian communities in Italy. Civita is called the Devil’s Bridge village; its  landscapes are defined among the finest in Calabria.

In Civita, old Albanian  is still spoken fluently , because the inhabitants belong to  Albanian ethnic and language minority  in Italy, recognized and protected by the Italian state.

The oriental style is mostly evident in the churches: the Arbëresh celebrate the Byzantine liturgical functions in Greek and retain the evocative symbolism with ancient Eastern Christian gestures and songs in Greek and in Albanian, together with Orthodox vestments, sacred icons, mosaics and the iconostasis.

In the old part you cannot avoid to notice several different chimneys,from the simplest to the most ‘artistic’  depending on  the social status of  the Albanian families. You can admire the Church with its precious Byzantine mosaics and the iconostasis,  the sixteenth century chapels of Consolation and St. Anthony . The Ethnic  Arbëresh Museum, in the center of the village, is very interesting.

Civita is a tourist centre  known for its natural beauty, the Devil’s Bridge, ‘ Gole del Raganello’, ‘ Timpa del Demanio’, and the Pollino National Park . The  Mountains are superb and suggestive.  The Raganello canyon is absolutely  fascinating.

Civita gastronomy is original and with strong character, as it has traditional Albanian dishes influenced by the vibrant Calabria cuisine.