Area Attractions: Rossano Rossano Extending 270 Meters Above Sea Level Along The Northern Slope Of Greek Sila Dominates The Ionian Coast Of The Cosenza Region On Which The New Part Of The Village Has Developed. Rossano, However, Is Known As The Byzantine Pearl Of Calabria. From The Vi To The Xi Century, In Fact, It Was One Of The Most Strategically, Militarily And Politically Important Centers Of The Byzantine Empire In Southern Italy. The Town Played A Primary Cultural And Religious Role And Throughout The Middle Ages. It Represented The Greek christian Spiritual Melting Point. It Is Not By Chance Alone That Rossano Is The Birth Place Of St.nilo 910 1004 Reformer Of The Byzantine Monastic Order And Founder Of Several Monasteries Such As The One In Grottaferrata And Of St.bartholomew And Several Popes. The Beautiful Codex Purpureus, The Cathedral Of The Achiropita, The Church Of S.marco, The Charming Patirion Monastery And The Small Church Of The Panaghya Are All Valuable Testimonies To The Byzantine Soul Of The Town. Rossano, However, Is Not Only Charm And Eastern Art. Buildings Of Different Origin Such As The Churches Of S.bernardino And S.domenico, The Convent And Church Of The Cappuccini And The Many Beautiful Buildings Of Noble Origin, Making Up One Of The Oldest And Best Preserved Historic Centers Of Calabria, Are Extremely Interesting And Deserve A Special Visit. The Diocesan Museum, Housed In The Archbishopric, Is A Real Must For All Visitors To The Lovely Town On The Ionian Sea. Mention Must Also Be Made Of The Exceptional Quality Of The Olive Oil, The Citrus Fruit And The Liquorice Produced In Rossano, And Of The Tasty Dishes Of The Local Cuisine. The Hotel Is Located About 40 Km From Sibari. Sibari, One Of The Biggest And Oldest Cities Of The Magna Graecia, Was Founded By The Achei Who Settled In The Territory Between The Rivers Crati And Sybaris, Now Coscile, Around 730 720 Bc. Sibari Was Known In The Ancient World For Its Opulence, Luxury And Elegance Of Its Customs. The Archaeological Sites Where Excavation Is Still Carried Out, Have Brought To Light Significant Evidence Of The Various Stages Of The Life Of The City. The Most Important Excavation Areas Are In Stombi, Or Parco Dei Tori, Parco Dell Cavallo And Casa Bianca. Many Of The Findings Are Kept In The National Sybaritide Archaeological Museum. Sibari, A Fraction Of Cassano Allo Ionio, Is Now A Holiday Resort In The Province Of Cosenza. Its Tourist Port, Called Of The Laghi, Is Very Well Known And Has Room For 900 Boats. The Hotel Is Located About 58 Km From The Sila. Sila Is A Vast Highland Which Extends Into The Heart Of Calabria, And Reaches 1100 1700 Meters. The Most Important Relief Is That Of Mount Botte Donato Whose Peak Reaches 1928 Meters. To The North It Borders The Sibari Plain And To The South That Of Lamezia. On The Ionian Side Sila Slopes Gently Towards The Sea, While On The Tyrrhenian Side It Precipitates Towards The River Crati Valley. Since The Romans, The Highland, Whose Name Comes From The Latin Silva, Has Been Known For Its Centuries Old Forests, For Green Pastures And For An Abundance Of Water. Sila Is Subdivided Into Three Areas Sila Grande, The Central And Vastest Area Of The Highland And The Greek Area Which Includes Many Albanian Villages Belong To The Province Of Cosenza While Sila Piccola Belongs To The Territory Of Catanzaro. Crossed By Several Rivers And Torrents And Enveloped By Immense Pine And Beech Forests Alternating With Hills And Rich Pastures, The Area Belonging To Cosenza Includes Lakes Arvo And Cecita, The Biggest On The Sila Highlands. In 1968 Sila Became Part Of The Calabria National Park, An Ecosystem Rich In Interesting Vegetation And Animals. Near The Park There Are Interesting Villages Such As Camigliatello Silano And Lorica Where Good Hotels Can Be Found. The Area Is Well Equipped For Winter Sports And In Other
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