Byzantine Castle

Among the historical and monumental symbols of the country, the Byzantine Castle of Simeri Crichi, in the province of Catanzaro, is a bastion of the Calabrian Middle Ages, a perfect synthesis of the encounter/clash between East and West. The Byzantine Castle of Simeri Crichi, now in ruins, overlooks the historic centre of Simeri Crichi, dominating the entire Gulf of Squillace from above. Built around the 10th century, the building preserves almost intact the outer walls, an imposing cylindrical tower on the north side, a second tower to the south and a large part of the citadel, with the Palacium Castri, seat of Greek-Byzantine power in this part of Calabria.

The Byzantine Castle of Simeri Crichi forms a single monumental complex with the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria dell'Itria, founded between 1121 and 1198 under the rule of the Faloch, an important Norman family. It is a grandiose ecclesiastical complex which, until the 19th century, retained intact the “jus patronatus”, or the right to elect and ordain ecclesiastical offices for the entire fiefdom of Simeri and to possess exclusive revenues. Destroyed several times by earthquakes, the church and castle now offer the charm of an authentic journey through time.