Discover Calopezzati: Castle, Church Art and History

Calopezzati is a historic village on one of the last hills before the plain and the sea. Numerous old fountains shape the village and are often found in picturesque and distinctive locations. A walk through the lanes offers a chance to experience the character of the village. For travelers interested in history, Castello Giannone, churches and traces of monastic life offer different points of interest.

The Castle and Medieval Building History

Castello Giannone developed from a Byzantine rock fortification. Under Norman rule, it became a square-plan fortified complex; under the Hohenstaufen, it became a castle in its own right. This development traces the site’s evolution from a fortified rocky outcrop to a castle complex and makes the castle’s different historical building phases a subject in their own right.

The castle houses a valuable library. Its courtyard also features a late Gothic bifora dating from the 15th century. This is one of the complex’s specific architectural details and adds to the picture of its development over several periods of rule. The Church of Madonna Addolorata is attached to the castle. It has a gilded wooden altarpiece regarded as one of the purest examples of Rococo art in Calabria. A mosaic depicting Saint Christopher is on the wall facing the square.

Church Art from Different Centuries

The parish church dedicated to the Madonna has three naves. Its main altar features an altarpiece of the Madonna Achiropita, painted in 1728. A painting from the Neapolitan school, dating from the late 17th century and originating from Solimena’s workshop, hangs in the church’s Rosary Chapel. The two works offer a glimpse of different periods and show how religious depictions and their art-historical context differ.

The mother church houses a stone baptismal font dating from the 17th century. Its date is indicated by the coat of arms of the Sambiase family. Santa Maria Assunta, in turn, dates from the 15th to 16th century. Together with the parish church and Madonna Addolorata, these provide several distinct church-related points of interest: architectural form, altarpieces, painting and the baptismal font with its family coat of arms.

Monasteries and Older Traces

The Convento dei Riformati stands opposite Castello Giannone, on a hill outside the walls. It was entrusted to the Friars Minor of Saint Francis of Assisi, known as the Reformed Friars, and dedicated to Santa Maria del Rimedio. The castle and monastery thus represent different architectural and religious chapters in the village’s history.

The Monastery of San Nicola was founded around the 9th century by monks of the Greek rite. Some remains of the monastery survive in the hamlet of Girdinello. A rock-hewn hermitage associated with the eremitic tradition that shaped the entire Rossanese area between the 7th and 9th centuries has also been identified near Girdinello. The Fontana di Scrimugno stands at the former site of the Basilian Monastery of San Nicola. These places point to different forms of monastic and eremitic history without combining them into a single structure.

Archaeology and Protected Landscape

Sections of the medieval defensive wall survive along today’s Via Le Murate. Remains of a Roman villa rustica were found at the Gadice site in the Calopezzati area. The wall and archaeological finds represent two further traces of the past: the fortification of the medieval village and a Roman villa in the Calopezzati area.

The landscape is also among the destination’s documented points of interest. The protected Dune di Camigliano area covers 88 hectares and includes Calopezzati. It is a Site of Community Importance within the municipal area, at the mouth of the Acquaniti River. For your trip planning, Calopezzati therefore offers clearly distinct points of interest, from castle and church art to monastic history, archaeology and a protected landscape area.

Discover more destinations: Aiello Calabro, Pietrapaola, Crosia, Fiumefreddo Bruzio, Marina Schiavonea, Rose, San Demetrio Corone, Malito.

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