Abbey of Santa Maria di Corazzo

Abbey of Santa Maria di Corazzo was founded by Benedictines in the 11th century, near Corace river. Rebuilt by Cistercians in the twelfth century, it was damaged for the first time by the earthquake of 1638 and again by that of 1783. After this date the monastery was progressively abandoned and stripped of artistic works it contained. Today its ruins can be visited with a guide and can also be reached through "Gioacchino da Fiore Walk", a route that links Tyrrhenian Sea with Sila National Park. In fact, the story of this Abbay crosses that of the theologian Gioacchino da Fiore, who was Abbot here and wrote his principal works before moving to Pietralata and finally to Sila, where in 1196 he founded new Florense Congregation in San Giovanni in Fiore.