Contrada San Pietro, Cittanova

The cluster sits on the inland side of the Gioia Tauro coastal plain where low, cultivated hills rise toward the interior Calabrian uplands. The local landscape is a mix of olive groves, citrus and other orchards on the plain and lower slopes, with small parcels of arable land and scattered farmhouses. Drainage is by seasonal streams (fiumare) that run from the hills to the Tyrrhenian coast. The plain contains the large port and rail hub of Gioia Tauro and other service towns; the nearest local towns with shopping and public services include Taurianova and Gioia Tauro. There is no national-park protection in the immediate plain; the higher Aspromonte massif and its protected areas lie further inland and uphill from the plain (not inside the flat/plain area). The area is within the seismic zone typical of Calabria.