The Castle

The Metropolia of Santa Severina and the Swabian donations But the bigger Swabian donation, for the archdiocese of Santa Severina regarded mainly the powerful monastery of Calabro Maria di Altilia, hamlet of Santa Severina In the ancient town of Metropolia of Santa Severina’s historical center, of the Marquisate of Crotone, it is possible to recognize some traces related to the period of the Swabian domination. Such as in the structure of the mammoth castle, where there are recognizable traces of Swabian architecture like the round and square tower and Islamic battlements. The major Swabian donations, regarding the Archdiocese of Santa Severina, are mainly the powerful monastery of Calabro Maria of Altilia, hamlet of Santa Severina.

The patronage of Frederick II Frederick II enjoyed the right of patronage on this monastery. “How Frederick enjoyed on the aforesaid monastery of Calabro Maria – Nicola Venusio wrote in 1774 – the right of patronage, not otherwise ought to be inferred, if not because Duke Ruggero, endowed him with a vast territory of the palace called Sila Sanduca, when in 1099 Polychronius bishop of Cerenzia had refurbished it. ” The monastery of Calabro Maria originally belonged to the Cistercian Order, but when the Ordo Florensis was born – the first true reform of the Cistercian Order – its monks asked to switch to the new religious Family and so they did. Thus began a long “querelle” (controversy) that will last until the drafting, at the Vatican, of the Bull dated August 31, 1211 by which Innocent III gave the monastery of Altilia to the Ordo Florensis (or Joachimites, from Joachim of Fiore). Such possession, after 9 years, was counted among the Joachimites’ possessions by a diploma drawn up by Frederick of Swabia himself. Perhaps the attack on the monastery by both the religious orders, as well as purely religious reasons, were also connected to the hidden treasures of the same monastery which became, in 1213, “vicaria sedes” of the Abbey of San Giovanni in Fiore. Already under Ruggero II, in fact, many were the possessions of the monastery of Altilia that, in addition to a number of landholdings, also received the possession of the Salina existing in Cerenzia, at the confluence of the Lese and Neto rivers. For his part, Frederick added the permission to the monks of Calabro Maria to graze freely and free of charge in the whole of Calabria, in sea areas and in the mountains. Sorce: viaggi.ciao.it / arealocae.it

The History

In the name of the mother Village of Santa Severina, Altilia rests on the side of the river Savuto, located at an altitude of 650 meters above sea level. Founded before the eleventh century by Eustacchio Greco, Exarch of Emperor Basilio II, who baptized it with the name Alimena, his mother’s name. It was the scene of fighting in the battles between Saracens and Normans, so Giovan Corrado and Altilio dell’Alimena left it and built a new village in a higher and therefore more defensible place. Flourishing trade It was also a colony of Jews and because of this had a remarkable business, Altilia was important in the whole of Calabria for the production of the sieves (tools to separate the flour from the bran). In the area, the presence of a good marble stone and clay allowed the formation of a school of stonemasons very popular and active in the Valley of Crati. The traces of Hannibal The Roman Bridge, said ‘of Hannibal’, was built by the Romans in the service of Via Popilia in 203 BC and destroyed by the same Romans at the time of Hannibal’s defeat, to avoid his escape and prevent him from reaching the sea, it was then rebuilt by engineers of the Carthaginian general for the transit of his army.

The general come from across the Alps Administrative arrangements order prepared in 1799 by General Championnet included it in the canton of Belmonte, later in 1806 it was recognized as a “Place” into the French arrangements order, and then as District in that of 1811 been given also Maione as a fraction, where it is still possible to admire beautiful portals of 700 and 800. It first belonged to the Government and then to the district of Carpanzano, aggregated to Malito in 1928, regained its independence in 1937. The monasteries In ancient times in Altilia there were two important monasteries, one kept by the Augustinians in San Lorenzo, near the cemetery that went unfortunately destroyed by an earthquake in 1148, and the other dedicated to St. Maria delle Grazie run by the Conventual Franciscans. Of this last one, located near the Town Hall, you can still admire the elegant portal and the beautiful triumphal arch, carved in the tufa. The Carbonari’s pride Altilia in 1811 hosted the first sale of Carbonari in Calabria. Vincenzo Federici said Capobianco was the first martyr of the Carbonari, in the events of the Risorgimento participated: Michele Marsico, Vincenzo Marsico, Francesco Federici, Gaspare Marsino and Luigi Caruso.

Accommodation & Restaurants

ACCOMMODATION SCIGLIANO – COOP. C.O.E.S. ARL SCIGLIANO – VIA MONSERRATO 0984986873

Hotel Royal **** Cosenza – Via Molinella, 24/e 0984 – 412165

Hotel Europa *** Cosenza – Contrada Roges 0984 – 465064

Hotel Centrale *** Cosenza – Via del Tigrai 3 Ubic. vicino

centro storico

0984 – 75750

Hotel Excelsior *** Cosenza – P.za Matteotti 14 Ubic. vicino

centro storico

0984 – 74383

RESTAURANTS

MARTIRANO – CICCO DOMENICO MARTIRANO – CONTRADA RIZZA 096899196 BISTROT RESTAURANT CORIGLIANO CALABRO – 14, VIA FAVELLA DELLA CORTE 0983808025 DOLCE VITA DI VERBICARO FRANCO E C. SNC LAINO CASTELLO – CORSO EUROPA 098182859 LA PERLA JONICA MANDATORICCIO – VIA ALDO MORO 0983994507

Altilia

Visualizzazione ingrandita della mappa Altilia is a town of 768 inhabitants (Altiliesi) in the province of Cosenza. It rises 594 meters above the sea level. Founded probably before the thousand years by Eustacchio Greco, Exarch of Emperor Basilio II, who gave him the name of his mother, Alimena, the emperor’s nanny. It belonged to the De Gennaros from 1496 to 1579 and then to the d’Aquino from Crucoli. The first sale of the Carbonari in Calabria in this country occurred in 1811. In 1828 it was attached to Malito and in 1937 it regained its independence. The town is located on a hill to the right of the river Savuto. Banks of marble stone and clay are common in the area that stretches along the lower valley of the Savuto. Altilia from generation to generation has practiced the art of chisel certified by the churches and palaces. The economy is mainly agricultural. There it is practiced woodworking, while the art of the chisel, once known throughout Calabria, is literally disappeared.