From the valley of the river Neto, Santa Severina looks like a ship of stone run aground on a hilltop. The town occupies a flat-topped crag of tufa about 35 kilometres north-west of Crotone and is listed among the “Borghi più belli d’Italia”, Italy’s most beautiful villages.
It was an important Byzantine stronghold and bishopric before the Normans took it in the 11th century, and almost everything worth seeing gathers around one elongated square, Piazza Campo: the castle at one end, the cathedral at the other, the baptistery tucked beside it.
Top things to do at Santa Severina
Step into the Byzantine baptistery
Built between the 8th and 9th centuries, this small round building with four short arms is among the oldest Byzantine monuments in Calabria. Inside, a ring of reused ancient columns carries a dome; traces of fresco survive on the walls.
Explore the castle
The great fortress, raised by the Norman Robert Guiscard over a Byzantine stronghold and enlarged by later lords, is one of the best preserved in the south. Its halls hold a museum of the site’s history and the towers give huge views over the Marchesato hills to the Sila.
Visit the cathedral and its museum
The cathedral of Sant’Anastasia dates from the 13th century, with later rebuilding; the neighbouring diocesan museum keeps its treasury of silver, vestments and manuscripts.
Find Santa Filomena
On the edge of the old Greek quarter, the little 11th-century church of Santa Filomena has a tiny cylindrical dome ringed with slender columns — a very Byzantine silhouette.
How to get to Santa Severina
- By car: about 45 minutes from Crotone via the SS107 towards Cosenza, then the turn-off up to the town. Park below the centre and walk up.
- By bus: a few weekday buses run from Crotone, timed for commuters rather than visitors.
- By tour: the private Capo Colonna, Santa Severina and Le Castella tour includes the town.
Insider tips
- A combined ticket has usually covered the castle and the other monuments; ask at the first ticket desk you reach.
- Monuments tend to close for a long lunch break, and some shut one day a week — mornings are safest.
- Combine the visit with lunch: the Marchesato is known for pecorino, lamb and oranges.
- Santa Severina fits neatly on the way to or from the Sila.
Best tours & tickets for Santa Severina
These experiences pair well with a visit to Santa Severina:
Private day tour from €150 Capo Colonna, Santa Severina & Le Castella: Private History and Seaside Tour
The one tour that strings together the three great sights of the province in a single day, with a private driver doing the hard part. You go from the Greek sanctuary on the cape to the baptistery and castle of Santa Severina, then down to the fortress in the sea at Le Castella. Without a car it is the only practical way to see all three.
- The Doric column of Hera Lacinia at Capo Colonna
- The Byzantine hill town of Santa Severina
- The sea fortress of Le Castella
Private day tour from €160 Gerace and Stilo: Private Tour of the Village of 100 Churches and La Cattolica
If Santa Severina’s baptistery leaves you wanting more of Byzantine Calabria, this private tour heads further south along the Ionian side to the tiny five-domed Cattolica at Stilo and the medieval town of Gerace. It is a long day from Crotone — confirm the pick-up area before booking.
- The Byzantine Cattolica of Stilo
- Gerace, the “village of a hundred churches”
- Private transfer included
