Travel Guide Rossano

Rossano is one of the region's architectural and artistic treasures and is a great unknown in guidebooks. It is made up of three parts, a few kilometres apart, and has something for everyone: on the one hand, a beautiful, well-preserved seaside; on the other, Rossano Scalo, a practical modern town; and finally, the historic centre, situated at an altitude of 270 metres on a hill covered in olive trees, on the southern edge of the Sila Greca. Home of St. Nil, capital of Greek monasticism in the West, Rossano is considered one of the most interesting Byzantine religious centres in Calabria. In this tangle of narrow streets, in this accumulation of small squares lined with old aristocratic palaces, in these ancient Byzantine churches, there is a singular charm that transports you into another age. Do not miss the Diocesan Museum and its famous Codex Purpureus. Seven Codex Purpureus (manuscripts of the Gospels) have survived to this day, written between the 6th and 18th centuries. Two of them are in Italy, including the one in Rossano. These manuscripts are very important for the understanding of the Bible and the liturgy. A few kilometres from Rossano, the Monastery of Patire is well worth a visit. It is reached by a beautiful winding road that climbs through woods and olive groves, with some openings to the sea. Finally, in the historic centre, don't forget to have a granita di mandorle (almond sorbet) at the Tagliaferri terrace in Piazza Santi Anargiri.