Travel Guide Santa Severina

Santa Severina, situated on a rocky spur at an altitude of 326 m, is not easy to reach. If you have time and don't mind winding roads, take the old SS107 through Marchesato, another name given to the province of Crotone. The hilly landscape, criss-crossed by the River Neto, is punctuated by picturesque villages such as Scandale and San Mauro Conquered by the Saracens in 840, then taken over by the Byzantines in 866, the town was subjugated in 1074 by the Norman Robert Guiscard, who built the powerful castle there. In the 15th century, it hosted an Albanian community. Part of Santa Severina was abandoned after the earthquake of 1783, which explains why its historic centre has retained a relatively intact Byzantine appearance. The structure of the town can still be seen: dug into the rock, the Greek quarter called Grecia, that of the poor; built high up on the rocky spur, the rich quarter. In the centre, the ancient baptistery (probably from the 8th-9th centuries), the 12th-century church of Santa Filomena with its Tardo-Byzantine architecture, the cathedral and the majestic Carafa Castle are worth seeing. This military structure, surrounded by crenellated walls, houses an archaeological museum that traces the history of the city and the Neto valley, between Byzantine and Norman remains. Opposite the castle, the piazza del Campo is the centre of local life with its town hall and several bars.