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Rossano
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Twelve kilometres away from the Monastery of Pathirion, the resort of
ROSSANO SCALO
has far outstripped its parent-town of
ROSSANO
in terms of size and bustle, and most of the holiday-makers who frequent its beaches never even get round to visiting the hilltop town, 7km up an awkward winding road - something that has helped to preserve the old centre from excessive development. The foremost Byzantine centre in the south, Rossano was the focus of a veritable renaissance of literature, theology and art between the eighth and eleventh centuries, a period to which the town's greatest treasures belong. Its majolica-tiled
Cattedrale
is an Angevin construction largely rebuilt after the 1836 earthquake but has a much-venerated ninth-century Byzantine fresco,
Madonna Achiropita
, whose Greek epithet, meaning "not painted by hand", refers to its divine authorship. The over-decorated interior boasts a wooden ceiling and a mosaic floor near the altar, though most of the artworks here suffer from neglect. Next to the cathedral, the
Museo Diocesano
(July to mid-Sept daily 9am-1pm & 4.30-8.30pm; mid-Sept to June Tues-Sat 9.30am-12.30pm & 4-7pm, Sun 10am-noon & 4.30-6.30pm; L4000/2.07) contains the famed
codex purpureus Rossanensis
, or Purple Codex, a unique sixth-century manuscript on reddish-purple parchment illustrating the life of Christ. The book, which was brought from Palestine by monks fleeing the Muslim invasions, is open at one page, but you can leaf through a good copy and see, among other things, how the Last Supper was originally depicted, with Christ and his disciples not seated but reclining on cushions round the table, and all eating from the same plate. Other items in this tiny museum include a fifteenth-century icon painted on both sides and formerly at Pathirion, and several pieces of silverware of superb artistry. In contrast to the duomo's grandiosity, the diminutive church of
San Marco
, at the end of Corso Garibaldi on the edge of town, retains a primitive spirituality. The five cupolas of the tenth- or eleventh-century construction, surrounded by palms on a terrace that looks out over the gorge below, impart an almost Middle Eastern flavour; to see the stark white interior, enlivened only by six frail columns and a poorly maintained fresco, ask at the Cooperativa Neilos at their office at Piazza Duomo 25 (tel 0983.525.263). They are also equipped to supply
information
on the area.
Hotels
are few and far between, all in the lower town, and they aren't cheap. Try the
Murano
, right by the sea on Lido Sant'Angelo (tel 0983.511.788; L90,000-120,000/46.48-61.98), or, 50m up from the level crossing, the
Scigliano
(tel 0983.511.846; L150,000-200,000/77.47-103.29), though if you have transport you'll find a better deal at the
President
(tel 0983.511.375; L120,000-150,000/61.98-77.47), a couple of kilometres north up the SS106. All are rather characterless modern places but prices should include breakfast. Alternatively, a kilometre north from Rossano Scalo on the seafront road, you'll find chalets for rent at the local
campsite
,
Torino
(tel 0983.512.394). Back in the old town, the best
trattoria
lies just off Piazza Anargiri,
La Villa
, in Via San Bartolomeo, with alfresco eating in summer (closed lunchtimes & Tues); there's another, more casual evenings-only place,
La Bizantina
, right outside San Marco, or try
Le Arcate
near the cathedral. All of these places also serve pizzas. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Italy,
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