Itinerary of Faith

The visit to The Three Villages also offers a spiritual journey through the places of worship and devotion of the three territories.

We begin our Itinerary from the most ‘spiritual’ town: Santa Severina, a bishopric together with Crotone. In Santa Severina, in fact, stands the co-cathedral of Sant’Anastasia, one of the most important churches in Calabria, founded in the 9th century and rebuilt several times over the following centuries. Inside the Cathedral, one can admire precious frescoes, a crypt with ancient tombs and an iconostasis from the Byzantine Period, testifying to the religious and historical importance of the village.

The Byzantine Baptistery is a unique structure in Calabria, one of the oldest and most significant Byzantine Buildings in the Region, dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries. Circular in shape with a central dome, it still preserves traces of the original frescoes. It is a Jewel of Byzantine Art and Architecture, a symbol of the ancient cultural link between Calabria and the East.

The Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art is located next to the Cathedral and houses a vast collection of sacred works of art, including paintings, sculptures, liturgical vestments and reliquaries, covering a time span from the Middle Ages to the Baroque Period. A visit that allows one to discover the artistic and cultural wealth of the religious community of Santa Severina.

The Archbishop’s Palace: An Elegant Palace serving as the Residence of the Archbishops, with a Renaissance Façade and an Ornate Portico. Inside are Frescoed Rooms and a Historical Library with Ancient Volumes and Manuscripts.

We continue our journey arriving in Caccuri. The town, despite its small size compared to other Municipalities, offers a rich variety of religious testimonies starting with the Church of Santa Maria del Soccorso, a 13th century building with a fascinating Romanesque Portal. Located in the heart of the village, this 16th-century Church is famous for its green marble high altar and the frescoes decorating the side chapels. Restorations have not respected the colours, but the works are important as they are testimonies of sacred works of art by local artists, including Santanna and son (painters from the 18th century). We admire works depicting the Last Supper (with a grim Judas in the foreground, a very unusual detail), St Joseph, Mary crushing a snake and various triptychs, which were once carried in processions. The Baptismal Font, in wood and granite, worked by Caccura craftsmen, is remarkable. The Ancient Monastery, attached to the Mother Church, offers an interesting tour through the Religious History of the village. The Cloister and The Ancient Monastic Cells are among the most fascinating points. The complex is a remarkable example of Calabrian Religious Architecture, with a mix of Renaissance and Baroque elements due to its particular history.

Slightly smaller but no less fascinating is the Church of the Holy Rosary, known for its Frescoes and Sacred Artwork.

Certainly fascinating and of undoubted mystery is the rocky outcrop known as ‘Timpa dei Santi’. Among the ravines that vertiginously overlook the Neto River, Hermit Caves are hidden, the largest of which, only about three and a half metres deep, can be considered The Oratory Chapel of The Monastery. This cave carved into the calcarenite has three frescoed niches at the bottom with traces of painting of a clearly religious nature. The signs of the frescoes are more visible in the niches than anywhere else. The cave was originally plastered and frescoed in its entirety. Figures of Christ, angels and saints can now be glimpsed although eroded by time and weather.

Arriving in Castelsilano, one must pay a visit to the Church of San Giovanni Battista, located in the heart of the village, an example of the simplicity and architectural beauty of Calabrian Villages. Inside, one can admire works of sacred works of art and wooden statues of great value. Right in front of The Church, there is a house that attracts attention because of the plaque placed at its entrance: this is where Mother Eufrasia Iaconis was born. It would be interesting to study the life of this saintly woman, but even more fascinating, being told by the inhabitants of Castelsilano about the exploits of this Servant of God.

Whilst visiting Castelsilano a visit to the Mother Church of Maria Santissima Immacolata cannot be missed. It stands in the same area as the Arca di Girimonte. Inside, there is a Silan Granite Stoup, a papal coat of arms on the entrance portal and precious sacred vestments finished in gold. The latest restoration included valuable mosaics from the Florentine School, which greatly embellish its appearance. The Church of the Madonna della Campagna features a statue by the famous Demetz Ortisei and is a Pilgrimage Destination, especially in summer for the solemn feast held on the second Sunday of August.