The Monastery of Sant'Elia il Vecchio in Curinga

Il Monastero di Sant'Elia il Vecchio - Curinga is a town in the province of Catanzaro. The symbolic monument of this town is the Monastery of Sant'Elia il Vecchio. It is located just outside the town and dates back to the Norman era, precisely to the 11th century. The best preserved element of the monastery is the Sancta Sanctorum with its characteristic dome and the coat of arms above the entrance belonging to the Loffredo and Caracciolo families.

It is thought that the excellent state of conservation of the latter is due to the fact that it was built much later than the rest of the structure, precisely in the seventeenth century. Inside the dome there is a very beautiful frieze with a braided decoration that runs along the entire circumference of the dome. It is thought that the monastery also had an upper floor used as a dormitory for the friars of which unfortunately few traces remain, such as the steps that can hardly be seen among the ruins and the doubling of the load-bearing walls. Every 15 July the feast of the Madonna del Carmelo is celebrated in Curinga, whose statue is carried in procession to the monastery. A truly suggestive place that absolutely deserves to be visited for the history it exudes.