A land of theologians and philosophers, saints and hermits, Calabria is criss-crossed by true places of faith, often immersed in nature and accessible through special Paths (such as the Trail of St Francis of Paola, the region's patron saint), which lead to Calabria's marvellous shrines and places of worship in the countryside.
Among the places of faith in Calabria, one cannot miss those linked to Gioacchino da Fiore (Gioachimita Path) and Tommaso Campanella, which touch places in the Sila of Catanzaro and Cosenza and the Stilaro Valley, among ancient abbeys and places of worship such as the famous Cattolica di Stilo (RC).
Among the jewels of Byzantine and Italo-Greek monasticism in Calabria are the Monastery of San Giovanni Theristis in Bivongi (RC) and the Pathirion in Rossano (CS).
Places of faith in Calabria necessarily pass through the Charterhouse of Serra San Bruno (VV), founded in the year 1000 by Saint Bruno of Cologne (founder of the Order), one of the few still active in Italy.
There are many sanctuaries and cathedrals, above all the Cathedral of Cosenza (UNESCO World Heritage Site), and small country parish churches from north to south, intertwining the rites of the Greek-Orthodox, Albanian and Waldensian minorities.