The territory of Grotteria develops on a complex of white-yellowish evaporitic limestone, sometimes sandy, with thin layers of silts and silty clays.

In the surrounding areas, there are deposits of coarse sands, varying in color from light brown to whitish, characterized by good compaction and sandy intercalations.

However, there are those who attribute the name of the town to the Latin CRYPTA AUREA, 'golden cave,' referring to the gold mines located nearby.

When the Roman Emperor Augustus occupied many areas of Calabria (including Grotteria), the town’s name was again changed to Crypta-Aurea (Golden Cave).

Even the name of the river Zarapotamo, which flows near the town, comes from Greek and means “dry river.” A few years later, however, the Normans settled in the region, and Grotteria was included in the county of Roger of Altavilla, which governed the territories between Squillace and Reggio Calabria.

Around 1458, Grotteria became the head of an important county, with 32 settlements under its jurisdiction, including Martone, Mammola, Siderno, Gioiosa Jonica, and San Giovanni.

Following the new administrative reorganization, Grotteria became a circondano (district) with jurisdiction over Mammola, Gioiosa Jonica, Martone, and San Giovanni.

The altar made of polychrome marble is topped by a statue of Our Lady of Pompeii, alongside Saints Catherine of Siena and Dominic.

In the church, a marble baptismal font with a wooden cover and an ancient statue of Saint Philomena, donated to the parish by the Tavernese family, are also preserved.

Inside, with a single nave, the Most Holy Crucifix (likely a 17th-century work by a Capuchin friar) is venerated, to which the people of Grotteria attribute a miracle.

The walls and the apse dome are fully frescoed, and several large paintings of notable quality are displayed: “Crucifixion among Saints” (a 17th-century work in the style of Ribeira), “Saint Francis with the Assumption” (a 17th-century work by Fabrizio Santafede, part of Andrea da Salerno's school), originating from the Capuchin convent that once stood in the area now occupied by the Church of the Crucifix, “Madonna of Graces with Angels and Saints and a Young Nobleman” (an oil painting by the Neapolitan School, inscribed "Janaurius Sernelli A.D. 1720").

The Church of Saint Nicholas of Bari is called "de' Francò" after the surname of a faithful woman who initiated the construction of the building in the 15th century.

Inside, with a single nave, there is a polychrome marble altar on which a painting depicting the Madonna with the Child, alongside Saints Nicholas and Dominic, is placed.

Part of the original structure remains, including a section of the pavement and the skeleton of some stairs that connected it to the matriz.

Built in 1963 to better serve the various fractions beyond the Torbido river, after the transfer of the parish from the Church of Saint Stephen the Pope (in the homonymous district) to Pirgo.

Generally, the blocks that make up the portals are made of granite, with the noble coat of arms placed in the keystone, often accompanied by the construction year engraved beneath.

Despite its current state of severe deterioration, it still features the most beautiful of the monumental portals of the town’s noble palaces, constructed in 1773.

Among the notable artistic elements is the monumental portal, a 17th-century work by the sculptural school of Serra San Bruno, and the library, which houses over 7,000 volumes and various art collections, busts, and portraits, including those of the local sculptor Giuseppe Cavaleri.

The castle of Grotteria, located on the ridge of Santa Margherita at approximately 420 meters above sea level, was likely built by the Normans between the 11th and 12th centuries on the remains of an earlier structure, perhaps Byzantine, used as a “Phourion” for controlling the isthmus route.

Despite its original function as a fortress, with loopholes for surveillance and defense, the castle underwent several transformations over the centuries, evolving from a fortified residence to a prison, before eventually falling into complete abandonment.

Between the 15th and 16th centuries, the castle reached its peak period of splendor, but frequent earthquakes and necessary restorations gradually eroded its integrity.

The last major destructive event occurred in 1783, when a devastating earthquake struck southern Calabria, severely compromising the structure.

By the 19th century, the castle had already become a ruin and was definitively abandoned, leaving only perimeter walls, tower remnants, a cistern, and traces of a granite portal, which was partially destroyed in 1985.

Its strategic position allowed it to monitor the entire valley, serving as a lookout point and defensive stronghold against invasions, especially from the north.

This is the most significant burial complex discovered to date (11th–6th century BCE), where numerous funerary goods have been found, including graffito and incised ceramics of local production.

Archaeological remains have been found in the localities of Santo Stefano, Bombaconi, Pirgo, Zinnì, Farri, Agliola, Ricciardo, Marcinà, Seggio, and Cambruso.

A hill in the locality of San Paolo houses the remains of a structure that, in the medieval period, likely served as a control station for transit between the Ionian and Tyrrhenian coasts.

At the end of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, all the churches in the town are left open in darkness, adorned with candles and plants made from legumes.

Through the Living Nativity, Grotteria seeks to reaffirm its religious, cultural, and historical traditions, emphasizing that Christmas is above all the day of the birth of Jesus Christ.

From the once-thriving local craftsmanship—such as the production of pipes—the remnants today are minimal: a few remaining artisans like tailors, carpenters, shoemakers, blacksmiths, and barbers, who once had established schools, are now counted on one hand.