San Marco Argentano

Among the 32 Calabrian municipalities included in the Pollino National Park, San Marco Argentano is a very ancient village, which nevertheless made a leap into history in around the year 1000, when it became the headquarters of Roberto D'Altavilla, known as Guiscardo, the castle was enlarged and was fortified, with a Norman tower that still stands out against the panorama of the hills. The location is congenial, as the town overlooks the entire valley of the Fullone river from above, along the Crati valley and the Catena Paolana. In the province of Cosenza, it is one of the most important centres in terms of art and culture. In the old town, founded by the Normans in the 11th century, there are several monuments, such as the Church and Convent of the Reformation and the Norman Cathedral of St Nicholas built in the 11th century on the ruins of a temple sacred to Poseidon and the Crypt. In the Diocesan Museum you can admire jewellery and sacred objects including the precious silver reliquary cross. In front of the Church of San Marco Evangelista, there is the medieval fountain of Sikelgaita dedicated to the wife of Guiscardo, with the three caryatids: the Sikelgaita, the Virtù, and the Smorfiosa.