Frascineto

The town of Frascineto, in the province of Cosenza, is part of the Pollino National Park and of the Calabrian communities of Arbëreshë (Italo-Albanian) origin, one of Calabria's three ethnolinguistic minorities.

Like all towns of Arbëreshë origin, Frascineto also has an unmistakable urban layout in the form of gjitonìe: neighbourhoods made up of small houses, arranged in a semicircle, overlooking a small communal square, the centre of neighbourhood conviviality. The Albanians of Calabria tenaciously guard their cultural identity through customs, language, religion and gastronomy.

What to visit in Frascineto? The Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta, in Baroque style with a characteristic bell tower and a majestic dome; the Basilican Church of San Pietro e Paolo (10th century) in Byzantine style; and the Chapel of the Madonna delle Armi (or Madonna di Lassù), carved into the rock of the Timpone del Corvo.

Not to be missed are Frascineto's two Albanian museums: the Museum of Traditional Albanian Costume and the Museum of Byzantine Icons. Lovers of good mountain wine should not miss a stop at the Social Wine Cellar "Vini del Pollino".