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.

Let’s start our journey from the most “spiritual” city: Santa Severina, 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 ninth century and rebuilt several times in the following centuries. Inside the cathedral you 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 of its kind in Calabria, one of the oldest and most significant Byzantine buildings in the region, dating back to the VII-VIII century. Circular in shape with a central dome, it still retains traces of 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 ranging from the Middle Ages to the Baroque period. A visit that allows you to discover the artistic and cultural richness of the religious community of Santa Severina.

The Archbishop’s Palace: An elegant palace that serves as the residence of the archbishops, with a Renaissance façade and an ornate portico. Inside there are frescoed rooms and a historical library with ancient volumes and manuscripts.

We continue our journey arriving in Caccuri. The small 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 thirteenth-century building with a fascinating Romanesque-style portal. Located in the heart of the village, this sixteenth-century church is famous for its green marble high altar and the frescoes that decorate the side chapels. The restorations have not respected the colors, but the works are important as testimonies of sacred art by local authors, including Santanna and son (painters of the ‘700). We admire the works depicting the Last Supper (with a grim Judas in the foreground, a very unusual detail), St. Joseph, Mary crushing the serpent and various triptychs, which were once carried in procession. The baptismal font, made of wood and granite, worked by Caccuro artisans, is remarkable. The ancient monastery, annexed to the mother church, offers an interesting visit 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.

A little smaller but no less fascinating is the church of SS. Rosario, known for its frescoes and sacred works of art.

Of sure charm and of undoubted mystery is the spur of rock called “Timpa dei Santi”. Among the ravines that dizzyingly overlook the Neto river, there are hermit caves, the largest, only about three and a half meters deep, can be considered the oratory chapel of the monastery. This cave carved out of the limestone has three frescoed niches at the bottom with traces of painting with a clear religious imprint. The signs of the frescoes are most visible both in the niches and everywhere. The cave was originally plastered and frescoed in its entirety. Figures of Christ, angels and saints can now be glimpsed, eroded by time and weather.

Arriving in Castelsilano, it is a must to pay a visit to the Church of San Giovanni Battista, located in the heart of the town, it is an example of the simplicity and architectural beauty of Calabrian villages. Inside you can admire works of sacred art and wooden statues of great value. Right in front of the church, there is a house that attracts attention for the plaque placed at its entrance: Mother Eufrasia Iaconis was born here. Studying the life of this holy woman would be nice, but even more fascinating is to be told by the inhabitants of Castelsilano about the deeds of the Servant of God.

A visit to Castelsilano cannot be separated from the Mother Church of Maria Santissima Immacolata. Which is located in the same area as the Ark of Girimonte. Inside there is a stoup in Sila granite, a papal coat of arms placed on the entrance portal and precious sacred vestments finished in gold. With the latest restoration, valuable mosaics of the Florentine school have been inserted that greatly embellish its appearance. The Church of the Madonna della Campagna has a statue by the famous Demetz Ortisei and is a destination for pilgrimages, especially in summer for the solemn feast held on the second Sunday of August.

Itinerary of Faith

A spiritual journey through history, art and devotion in the villages of Santa Severina, Caccuri and Castelsilano.

The territory of the Alto Marquisate Crotonese not only preserves breathtaking landscapes and historic villages, but is also a millenary crossroads of spirituality, faith and sacred art. Each village tells of the deep link with popular and institutional religiosity through churches, monasteries, hermit caves and architectural testimonies of great historical value.

Santa Severina – Spiritual heart of the diocese

Santa Severina is the village that most embodies the spiritual dimension of the region. For centuries a bishopric (together with Crotone), it houses monuments of extraordinary historical and religious importance.

Co-Cathedral of St. Anastasia

Founded in the ninth century and remodeled several times over the centuries, it is one of the most important churches in Calabria. Inside you can admire:

• precious frescoes from different eras,
• an early Christian crypt with ancient burials,
• a Byzantine iconostasis that testifies to the Greek Orthodox past of the place.

Byzantine Baptistery

Unique in its kind in Calabria, it dates back to the VII-VIII century. Circular in shape with a central dome, it preserves traces of original frescoes. It is considered one of the oldest Byzantine buildings of worship in southern Italy.

Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art

Adjacent to the Cathedral, it houses a very rich collection of religious art: liturgical vestments, processional crosses, reliquaries, wooden sculptures and paintings from the Middle Ages to the Baroque.

Archbishop’s Palace

An elegant residence with a Renaissance portico, frescoed rooms and a historic library. It represents the center of ecclesiastical life in the village, with access by reservation.

Caccuri – Popular devotion and mystery

The small village of Caccuri, despite its small size, offers a surprisingly rich and articulated religious heritage.

Church of Santa Maria del Soccorso

Built in the thirteenth century, it is one of the most representative places of worship. Inside:

• a high altar in green marble,
• frescoes restored (not always faithfully) depicting sacred scenes by local authors,
• a baptismal font made of wood and granite made by local artisans.

Valuable frescoes: the Last Supper with an unusual Judas in the foreground, St. Joseph, Mary crushing the serpent, triptychs used for processions.

Ancient Monastery and Cloister

Attached to the mother church, it can be partially visited. The cloister and the monks’ cells tell the story of Caccure’s religious life between the Renaissance and the Baroque.

Church of the Holy Rosary

Known as the “Congrega”, it was built in 1689 and features Baroque altars, statues and wooden coffered ceilings. It is considered one of the most valuable monuments in Caccuri. Smaller but suggestive, it preserves interesting frescoes and devotional statues, the subject of great popular participation.

Timpa dei Santi and hermit caves

A place of great mystical charm. Among the ravines on the Neto river, there are caves dug into the limestone, once hermits’ dwellings. Inside:

• three frescoed niches with images of Christ, saints and angels,
• remains of pictorial plaster now deteriorated by time.

These rooms represent a rare example of a Calabrian rock monastery, probably used as an oratory.

Castelsilano – The spirituality of small villages

Castelsilano preserves a silent and profound religiosity, expressed through churches, popular testimonies and figures of holiness.

Church of San Giovanni Battista

Located in the heart of the village, it is an example of simplicity and architectural beauty. Inside are preserved:

• sacred works of art,
• wooden statues of historical value,
• traditional liturgical objects.

Birthplace of Mother Eufrasia Iaconis

Right next to the church is the birthplace of the Servant of God Mother Euphrasia, a charismatic figure of the twentieth century. Its history is an integral part of the collective memory of the village.

Mother Church of Mary Most Holy Immaculate

Built in the historic area of the Ark of Girimonte, it houses:

• a stoup in Sila granite,
• a papal coat of arms on the portal,
• sacred vestments finished in gold,
• modern mosaics of the Florentine school that enrich the interior.

Church of the Madonna della Campagna

A pilgrimage destination and the fulcrum of Marian devotion in the village. Inside, a statue sculpted by Demetz Ortisei. On the second Sunday of August there is a heartfelt solemn festival with traditional celebrations and rites.

This spiritual itinerary allows you to discover, in addition to the architectural beauty of the places, the depth of the faith lived by the local communities over the centuries. From the Byzantine monumentality of Santa Severina to the mystical caves of Caccuri, up to the popular devotion of Castelsilano, each stage offers an intimate, immersive and authentic experience.