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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 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.

Piazza del Popolo

As you can see from the pictures, 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 immagination with images of what the castle once was before the damage of hundreds of years of earthquakes, sea air and time had ravagged it. Pirates were a problem when this castle was young. The Tower Of The Clock in the Piazza del Popolo (pictured above) was built by Jesuit craftsmen in the 1600's and has not only withstood the centuries, but a number of major earthquakes.

More to come on Paola soon!

SAINT FRANCIS OF PAOLA

In addition to being the patron saint of Calabria he is also the patron saint of Cosenza Province. Saint Francis is also the patron saint of boatmen, naval officers, mariners, sailors, against plagues, epidemics, against fire, travellers and sterility. Francesco Martolilla was born in 1416 in Paola and died April 2, 1507 in Plessis, France. Saint Francis was born to parents known for their holiness. They remained childless for a number of years and prayed for the intercession of Saint Francis of Assisi for children. Their prayers were answered and their first born child, a son, was named Francesco (Francis) in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Two more children followed. As a child he suffered an ailment in his eye which threatened his sight. His parents again, prayed for the intercession of Saint Francis of Assisi and vowed that he would wear the robes of Saint Francis' order. He was instantly cured. Thus began the life of a man known for his humility, sanctity and holiness. At the age of 13 he entered a Franciscan convent and began his life as a Franciscan monk. For 6 years he lived alone in a cave in Paola. After performing a miracle of walking on water when a boatman refused him passage, he garnered a following of monks. Eventually he founded a new order of Franciscan monks. About 1454 the Archbishop of Cosenza granted Saint Francis permission to build a large monestary and church. In 1492 he changed the name of his order to the "Minums" because he wanted to be known as the least in God's household. He wanted to be a contemplative hermit monk, however, God had other plans for him and gave him the gift of miracles and prophecy. He was persecuted by King Ferdinand of Naples for his criticism of the King's ill doings. At the request of Pope Sixtus IV, he travelled to France to assist King Louis XI prepare for death. During his service to the King he counselled him to restore peace between France and Brittain and became his respected advisor. The King's successors kept him in service to France. With Saint Francis' death imminent be begged the King to let him return home to Italy, but was refused. He died in France on April 2, 1507 while the Passion according to Saint John was being read to him.