Aficionados may follow the footsteps of the emperor Frederick II, searching for his footprints among the Norman churches and castles. Of great impact are also the great medieval abbeys where the innovative spiritual movement of abbot Gioacchino da Fiore was widespread.
Day 1
The Cathedral of Cosenza
After arrival in the morning, we will visit the castle built by the Normans in a dominating position. In fact, it is situated atop the Pancrazio hill and looks over all the surrounding hills. The Cathedral is the main monument of Cosenza,
dedicated in the presence of young emperor Frederick II in 1222; inside is the tomb of Isabel of Aragon, and a second sarcophagus contains what may be the remains of Henry, the emperor’s rebel son. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
2
The Ancient Abbeys
In Luzzi, a town on the slopes of Sila, we will see the church of the Natività and the medieval baptismal font in stone. In the locality of Sambucina we will be able to admire the abbey that, in the south, was the first to adopt the Cistercian rule: Santa Maria la Sambucina. In the ancient Argentanum we will visit the Cathedral of San Giovanni and the so-called Norman Tower. In the vicinity, the abbey of Santa Maria della Matina (11th century) has a refined architectural plan, similar to the French abbey of Fontenay. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
3
The Monasterium of San Giovanni in Fiore 
The town, on an atmospheric highland near the river Neto, developed down through the centuries around the Monasterium Florense, founded in 1189 by the abbot Gioacchino da Fiore, who chose a place suitable for meditation and prayer. Inside the Florense Abbey, partly reworked in the 16th century, there is a fine 17thcentury wooden choir. The church has a single nave and three apses. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
4
From atop the Castle of Vibo Valentia
At Vibo Valentia, in a splendid panoramic position, we will visit the Norman Castle, enlarged by Frederick II and the Angevins, which today holds the State Archaeology Museum. In the afternoon at Tropea, the lovely town on a promontory
overlooking two gulfs, we will see the Cathedral, with its 13thcentury portico, which holds a large black crucifix dating from the 15th century and a late Byzantine panel with the venerated image of the Virgin of Romania. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
5
The Cathedral of Gerace
The town offers a visit to several artistic masterpieces: the Cathedral, dedicated in 1045 and the largest religious building in Calabria has an interior punctuated by 26 classical columns coming from excavations; the church of San Francesco (1227), with a magnificent high altar; the little Byzantine church of San Giovannello and the church of Santa Maria del Mastro, with a central plan of Byzantine inspiration but built after the Norman conquest. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
