The 2016 CIA Winter Congress and 135th General Assembly of Delegates will be held in Cetraro (Italy) from 18-20 March 2016 hosted by the Southern branch of the Italian Accordion Culture (IAC), the Italian member of the Confédération Internationale Des Accordéonistes (CIA).
 
S.I.A.C (South-Italian Accordion Culture), partner of I.A.C. Italian premier voting member of the C.I.A, (IMC, an NGO official partner of UNESCO) located in Spoleto. For many years they have been working together in order to promote and develop the historical Italian Accordion Culture in Italy and all over the world. This year hosting the Winter Congress of the Confederation International Des Accordionistes C.I.A. at Cetraro, a small village of the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria Region from the 18th to the 20th of March 2016.
 
The Winter Congress of C.I.A. is considered one of the most important and relevant meetings in the International accordion environment. The hosting of the Winter Congress has been high on the list for Antonio Spaccarotella, who will take care of the organization, while proudly showcasing his hometown Cetraro, to the visiting International delegates.
 
During these days the hosts will offer a multicultural atmosphere with many performances coming from different artistic sources for example concerts, seminars, workshops and themed event. The delegations will be hosted at the Grand Hotel San Michele, a pearl of the hospitality industry in southern Italy, which will be the background of some of the scheduled events.
 
The event will feature the Recital of Piano 4 hands of two talented stars of the Calabria region, Nico Fuscaldo and Filippo Garruba and accordionist Giancarlo Palena, one of best Italian competitors during the recent Coupe Mondiale in Turku (Finland) as well as gala evenings including The Night Gala at the Grand Hotel San Michele.
 
With this occasion the delegates are envited to enjoy many cultural aspects of the area as well as food and wine of this fantastic region. Delegates will enjoy and no doubt appreciate the excellent Mediterranean food of this land, that makes Italy unique worldwide. Furthermore, attendees are also iunvited to take advantage of other activities at their disposal, including the wellness services at the Grand Hotel San Michele, and for the bravest the Rafting adventure day on the river Lao.
 
We thank you in advance for your attendance to our Winter Congress and 135th General Assembly meeting, as we conduct the business of the CIA. We invite you to use the registration form below to advise of your attendance. Delegates and attendees will stay at the Grand Michele Cetraro.

Cetraro is reachable by:

Car: Motorway Roma - Caserta Sud - Salerno - Lagonegro Nord - Fondo Valle Noce - S.S. 18 till Km 293.100.
Train: F.S. di Paola Railway Station (21 km)
Plane: Lamezia Terme Airport (85 km - see schedule below for bus transfer options for CIA Delegates)

Along the Tyrrhenian coastal track, known as the Riviera dei Cedri, is where one will come across the ancient Bretto centre of Cetraro.
  
It was an ancient Bruzi centre; an ancient Italic population who in the IV century BC, acquired major importance after battling victoriously against Magno-Greek cities. The Longobard princess Sichelgaita, Robert Guiscard's second wife, gave the village to the Montecassino Abbey (1086) in thanks for the profuse commitment of Abbot Desiderio IV with Pope Leone IX during the Ecumenical Councils of Melfi. From that moment on until 1810, Cetraro was administered by Benedictine monks.
  
Its name derives from Citrarium, which tells of the cultivation of cider, which has always characterised its territory. The Turkish Corsair Khar-ad-Din attacked Cetraro during 1534, destroying the naval shipyards, some galleys and the port, killing forty people and bringing the city to its knees. However, a further Turkish assault during 1573 was fended off. The dialectal poet, Giovanni de Giacomo, was born in Cetraro (1867-1929).
 
A visit to the City:
 
From Piazza del Popolo, where one can admire the Neptune Fountain and the Civic Museum,one can enter the historical centre through Via Porta di Basso leading to the S. Giuseppe Church. Close by, is where one can visit the S. Nicola Church, Palazzo del Vicario and S. Zaccaria Church. The S. Benedetto Mother Church is situated in the homonymous square and contains an organ from the '700s in its interior.
 
The Ritiro Church with its portal dating back to the '500s, and the Cappuccini or San Pietro Church, which preserves a G:B: Azzolino polyptych ('600s), completes the visit. Various archaeological finds, datable to the Brettia Era (IV century BC), are now exhibited in Palazzo Del Trono.
 
Places of interest:
 
- Chiesa Madre di S. Benedetto
- Chiesa del Ritiro
- Chiesa di S. Giuseppe
- Chiesa di S. Nicola
- Palazzo del Vicario
- Chiesa di S. Zaccaria
- Fontana di Nettuno in Piazza del Popolo
- Palazzo Del Trono
- Chiesa di San Pietro o dei Cappuccini
- Santuario di Monte Serra
- Terme Luigiane
- Grotta delle Colonne
- Grotta dei Rizzi
- Torre di Rienzo
- Scogli detto Testa del Leone
 
Museums:
 
- Museo Civico a Palazzo Del Trono
- Museo di Arti e Mestieri

The Grand Hotel San Michele is located high on a 120 m cliff overlooking the Thyrrhenian Sea. On a clear day you may see the Eolian islands.
 
Situated just outside the township of Cetraro, the hotel is surrounded by an organic farm of 44 hectares that everyday provides the hotel with fresh organic food: fruits,vegetables, olive oil, wine, milk and cheese, daily laid eggs, lamb, veal and pork meat, home made jams and preserves. One may enjoy walks on the farm or through the wood sourronding the hotel where you may spot a variety of birds and several wild animals like foxes and boars.
 
The golf course (9 holes, par 70), nicely landscaped among vineyards,with driving range, driving range and Club House offers continuous changes of landscape: vineyards, wooded hills beyond, the old towns, the guard towers, and of course the sea at will to enjoy together the fruits picked from the trees along the way, perhaps in the company of foxes, dormice, hedgehogs and wild boar!
 
Large terraces for relaxation at all hours and in good weather breakfast and dinner are available outdoors, the conservatory restaurant, a real winter garden, allows you to enjoy nature if it is too cool to eat outside.
 
Finally, most important of all, the courtesy, helpfulness and professionalism of our staff, proud to work at the San Michele for guests who appreciate what we offer. The flowers everywhere are the leitmotif of San Michele in fresh flower arrangements everywhere almost all from our garden, and like the food, according to the season, outside the hedges and mimosas ginestrine white winter the blaze of bougainvillea and bignonias summer, the sweet scents of spring blossom, jasmine and wisteria. In this virgin land, the sense of smell, so tortured in urban areas, finally finds its fulfillment.