San Benedetto Ullano

San Benedetto Ullano preserves its culture, language, and the Byzantine rite to this day. This heritage is reflected in religious traditions and architectural landmarks; the Laghicello protected area adds a distinctive landscape to the town.

Cultural Heritage and Architecture

The Church of San Salvatore in Piano dei Rossi was built in distinctive forms that revisit the Byzantine style. It is a tangible architectural landmark alongside the rite, which is still observed today. The Collegio Corsini also offers a glimpse into history: Pope Clement XII, from the Corsini family, founded it in 1732 as a university institution to educate Greek-Albanian clergy. The church and the Collegio thus represent different aspects of the town’s religious and cultural history.

The historic centre features impressive 18th-century portals with coats of arms, as well as numerous arches and small arches characteristic of the Gjitonie. The open-air museum Porte Narranti offers a different artistic expression: spread throughout the historic centre, it consists of old doors decorated by artists. The townscape therefore brings together historic architecture and artistic works distributed across the town centre. If you are interested in the details, the portals, coats of arms, and arches offer different points of interest from the decorated doors of the open-air museum.

Religious Traditions Throughout the Year

The Açiomeri procession still takes place on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Another tradition is the Kalimera: on the Saturday before Palm Sunday, Lazarus Saturday, this blessing song is sung in remembrance of the resurrection of Lazarus. The two customs are thus associated with different points in the liturgical calendar.

The feast of the Madonna del Buon Consiglio includes the Vallije: dances in Arbëreshë traditional dress along the town’s streets. Together with the procession and blessing song, this feast shows another way in which religious tradition and cultural heritage come together. If you would like to plan your trip around one of these traditions, check the specific date of the celebration for the year you wish to visit.

Laghicello and Getting Your Bearings

The Laghicello Natura 2000 protected area (SAC IT9310061) includes a small lake surrounded by beech forest. The forest is interspersed with chestnut trees and Neapolitan alder. The area lies mostly within the municipality of San Benedetto Ullano and partly within the municipality of Fuscaldo. For a sense of the area, the municipal boundary is part of the picture: the protected area extends across both municipalities.

The settlement of Sella Laghicello is another point of reference. Provincial road SP31 leads there from the town centre; Sella Laghicello lies at an elevation of 1,135 metres. This is a specific road connection between the town centre and the settlement, while the extent of the protected area is a separate piece of geographic information.

When looking for a hotel in San Benedetto Ullano, you can take your preferred focus for the trip into account: the town combines Arbëreshë culture that is still preserved today with religious history and recurring traditions; Laghicello adds a connection with nature to this cultural heritage.

Discover more destinations: Cetraro, Torremezzo Di Falconara, Campora San Giovanni, Maierà, Montalto Uffugo, Nocara, Carolei, Grisolia.

For the broader travel overview: Cosenza.