A small jewel in the province of Cosenza, nestled between sea and mountains , between the Sila and the Ionian coast , illuminated by a mild climate that will accompany you all year round: Welcome to Rossano, a destination full of attractions to visit, corners from which to enhance nature and places where you can learn about typical cuisine.
Your holiday will allow you to admire elegant buildings and ancient testimonies of the Hellenic civilization . In its history that is presumed to begin with the Enotri, great importance was also given to the Romans who made it an outpost for the control of the Sibari Plain. Walking through the streets of the center you can admire several churches and also very particular museums.
Rossano also known as Rossano Calabro is one of the surprises of Cosenza. Visit this pearl and discover its beauty. Since 2018 the municipality has merged with Corigliano Calabro giving life to Corigliano-Rossano.
A very special museum, which was born only in 2001 to tell the story of liquorice and that of the Amarelli family , whose activity in the sector began in the 18th century . The headquarters of the Liquorice Museum is a building from the 1400s and contains a vast archive with documents, engravings and period photos that illustrate the birth of the company and the first forms of production .
Along the route you can also appreciate the work tools, starting a journey that moves between innovation and tradition . In a single overview you can admire porcelain shapes, manual tools , bronze molds up to the first experimental machinery. The tour ends with the reproduction of the ancient workshops and with the representation of country life and the customs of the 1800s. For the joy of visitors there is also a space to taste licorice in all its forms.
We are talking about the first museum established in Calabria, in 1952. The museum itinerary is divided into two strands: one dedicated to the Purple Codex , the second to the history of the Diocese and the City , through the exhibition of finds and objects divided into thematic and chronological areas . Both topics are explored in depth by panels and multimedia supports . The Purple Codex is a very valuable Greek evangeliary dating back to the 6th century and which collects, in 188 parchment sheets , the gospels of Mark and Matthew .
The work is enriched by 15 miniatures and in 2006 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the “Memory of the World” category. The museum collection also includes several works of art , including a Greek bronze mirror , a silver bust , a post-Byzantine icon, a miniature, some musical codices , a monstrance, various liturgical vestments. Precious furnishings and ancient parchments complete the offering .
The Cathedral was built starting from 1100 and has been the subject of numerous renovations . It is characterized by a plan with three naves and as many apses . On one of the naves there are eighteenth-century chapels with late-Baroque decorations . The bell tower and the baptismal font date back to 1500.
The church was built around the fresco of the Virgin Achiropita (not painted by human hand). According to tradition, the image appeared suddenly on a stone during the construction of the church . The icon, which depicts the Virgin Mary with her child in her arms, is placed on a neo-Gothic altar , built in the 15th century.
Rossano offers other corners where nature is the absolute protagonist . The Colognati torrent in a setting of great impact between woods, high rocks and small gorges offers 20 meter high waterfalls. It is a challenging route with many differences in altitude suitable for trekking and canyoning enthusiasts .
Once you arrive, the natural spectacle you will witness will give you a moment of peace and serenity . A riot of colors, fauna and vegetation will be the backdrop to the jet of water from the waterfalls. Its rhythmic noise will lull you and allow you to spend a moment full of suggestions .
The last stop on our journey brings us an example of Byzantine style , with a Greek plan and square shape. The church was originally dedicated to Saint Anastasia. At first it was conceived as a monastery , but was then restored and transformed into a place of worship. In the nineteenth century, however, it became a cemetery for cholera sufferers .
The building, which stands on a tuff spur , is characterised by the presence of five cylindrical domes . During the restoration work that began in 1926, a fresco of the Madonna Odigitria was found .
Located in Rossano, on the Ionian coast of Calabria, the Acquapark Odissea 2000 is a water park offering a wide range of attractions for all ages. Inaugurated in 1995, the park covers an area of about 80,000 square metres and boasts numerous attractions. In addition to water attractions, it offers facilities such as restaurants, bars and picnic areas, making it ideal for a day of family fun.
Corigliano Calabro is a historic city in Calabria, famous for its imposing Ducal Castle and the Abbey of Santa Maria del Patire. Located in the province of Cosenza, it is also known for its fishing port and the beauty of its territory.
The Giants of Cozzo del Pesco, also known as the Giants of Pietra di Campana, are enigmatic megalithic sculptures carved in rock, located in the Greek Sila region of Calabria. Depicting a probable prehistoric elephant and a warrior, they represent one of the territory's most fascinating archaeological mysteries, immersed in history, myth and wild nature.
Sybaris was an ancient and powerful colony of Magna Graecia, founded in 720 BC on the Ionian coast of Calabria. Famous for its wealth, luxury and refined daily life, it became a symbol of opulence and decadence, so much so that the term “sybaritic” derives from it.
The Giants of Pietra di Campana are mysterious rock sculptures located in the Greek Sila region of Calabria. Up to 7 metres high, these monumental figures, carved into the rock, supposedly depict a prehistoric elephant and a warrior, raising fascination and questions about their origins and meanings, between myth, art and archaeology, for years.
