A tour that touches on the chief examples of Byzantine culture in southern Italy. The enchanting atmosphere of the Calabrian landscapes makes the discovery of the treasures preserved in the ancient religious buildings of Eastern architecture even more fascinating.
Day 1
The Zoomorphic Mosaics and the Codex Purpureus Rossanensis
Departure in the morning for San Demetrio Corone where we will visit the church of Sant’Adriano, which contains a series of splendid mosaics with zoomorphic figures. At Rossano, a fortress-city, we will visit the church of San Marco, a gem of Byzantine art, and the Panaghia, in the ancient heart of the city, connected with the Byzantine cult of the “All-Holy” Madonna. At the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art, we will be able to admire the Codex Purpureus; unique in length, the precious codex contains 14 full-page, highly detailed plates. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
2
The Pathirion and the Baptistery of Santa Severina
After breakfast, visit to the Pathirion, the ancient coenoby situated in the woods between Rossano and Corigliano; the Arab-Norman church, with a nave and two aisles, preserves some interesting mosaic fragments. Departure for Crotone and visit to the Cathedral, with its stone baptismal font (13th century) and panel, in Byzantine style, of the Black Madonna. In the afternoon, we will go to Santa Severina. Next to the Cathedral of Sant’Anastasia (13th century) is the Baptistery, the oldest Byzantine monument in Calabria (8th century). We will also visit the church of Santa Maria del Pozzo, built over an ancient cistern, and the church of Santa Filomena. Dinner and overnight stay.
3
The “Cattolica” of Stilo, Gerace, and Santa Maria la Roccella 
After breakfast we will go to Stilo to visit the “Cattolica”, a small Byzantine church with a square plan, topped by 5
domes. From there, on to Gerace, where we will visit the important Cathedral and the Byzantine Chapel of Santa Maria del Mastro, the little church of San Giovannello, and the remains of the Castle, built in 1100. In the afternoon, visit to the
Archaeological Park of the Scolacium area; near the settlement of the Classical Age are the remains of the imposing Basilica of Santa Maria la Roccella, framed by a lovely secular olive grove. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
4
Staiti and the Ancient Dialect of Bova
After breakfast, we will go to Staiti to visit Santa Maria di Tridetti, a triple-apse Roman-Norman church with a nave and
two aisles. In the afternoon, departure for Bova, where a dialect of Byzantine derivation is still spoken. We will visit the 10th-century Norman Castle, the Bishop’s Palace, and the aristocratic Palazzo Nesci and Palazzo Mesiano. In the archaeological area, the remains of a 4thcentury Jewish synagogue with mosaic pavements have been found. Departure as planned.
