Monuments
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- Last Updated on Friday, 23 February 2024 14:53
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The Cathedral (9th century) is a solemn and austere building dedicated to St Mary of Isodia and is of Norman origin. It was rebuilt in the late 17th and early 19th centuries. It is believed that the ancient construction dates back to the first centuries AD. The church, with its Romanesque structure, has a basilica-type plan with three naves. The portal has a tuff stone doorpost decorated with small columns, and above it in a frame is the bishop's coat of arms. Another minor portal is located on the side façade, and the stone lintel bears an inscription dated 1691. The interior has three columned naves on which the side arches rest, and at the end of the central apse is the marble high altar built in 1933 by Bishop Giuseppe Cognata. At the top, in a special niche positioned on a marble panel about 45 cm high, is the statue of the Madonna of the Presentation, or Madonna of Isodia (from the Greek Ise-Ode: Presented) with the Child in her arms, sculpted in white marble and about one metre high. The Madonna and Child wear two silver crowns on their heads, dated 1614, with the coat of arms of Bishop Giovanni Camerota (1592-1620). The chapel in the right aisle contains the artistic Sacrament Altar in polychrome marble. The altar, attributed to Sicilian craftsmen, bears an inscription in the upper frame with the name of the patron, the nobleman Fabio Nesci, and the year of execution, 1714. Once in the middle of this chapel was the Sepulchre of the brethren of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. Overlooking the right aisle is the Chapel of the Crucifix, dated 1754, in which a wooden Christ on the Cross from the 18th century was placed. The beautiful bell tower has four bells, and the big bell is also called the 'March bell', because it rang every Friday in Lent to remind everyone of the penitential period.
The Church of San Leo (17th century) has a rectangular plan, a single nave with side chapels. It has precious 19th-century stucco on the walls and a sumptuous Baroque high altar in whose polychrome niche is a white marble statue of St Leo (Patron Saint of Bova) (1582). On either side of the niche is a double row of inlaid red marble columns, and at the top is the city's coat of arms in marble. The Baroque Chapel of the Relics of St Leo is dated 1722, a gift from the Marzano brothers for graces received from the saint. In this chapel, there is a marble altar consisting of four polychrome marble columns dated 1732, in a richly chiselled silver urn the Saint's relics are kept; the silver half-bust statue of St Leo is also of exquisite workmanship. In the chapel of the right aisle is a precious 18th-century canvas depicting the Immaculate Madonna with clasped hands, resting her foot on the moon and trampling the serpent, flanked by St Francis of Paola, St Anthony of Padua and St Joseph. The canvas is the work of Calabrian painters influenced by the Neapolitan school.
The Church of the Carmine (17th century) is a graceful aristocratic chapel belonging to the Mesiani Mazzacuva family. The main façade in late Renaissance style is defined by tall pilasters supporting a cornice with a triangular tympanum. The stone portal made by local craftsmen is surmounted by the family's marble coat of arms.
The Church of the Immaculate Conception (18th century) has a stone portal with carvings on the façade in late Baroque style, also the work of local stonemasons. Above the architrave is a low arched window with the Marzano family coat of arms in the centre. In fact, the church was the private chapel of Palazzo Marzano.
The Church of the Holy Spirit (17th century) formerly the Church of St. Catherine has a rectangular plan with a single nave with an apse and two side chapels and is simple and austere in form. The portal is made of stone with carvings in late Renaissance style, and on the entablature above it is a curvilinear tympanum dated 1622. On the high altar in inlaid marble was a marble statue of the Madonna and Child, now preserved in the new Church of St. Catherine. Today it is used for the Byzantine rite.
The Church of San Rocco (16th century) is located in the southern part of the settlement where the ancient convent of the Friars Minor of St. Anthony once stood. The façade has a portal surmounted by the bishop's coat of arms in carved stone and embellished with decorative motifs at the base of the pilasters and in the centre of the architrave. The interior, with a single nave, has a semicircular apse with a round arch.
The Norman Castle stands atop a rocky spur and the few remaining ruins are insufficient to reconstruct the layout of the whole. The rooms that are still legible are located at different heights, but it is difficult to understand their function, also due to the fact that the original orography of the land has been altered. The castle was supported by the city walls, of which a circular tower (Torre Normanna) still exists today. There are various hypotheses on the dating of the complex fortification, it is likely that the existing structures date back to the Angevin period. In the 15th-16th-17th centuries, following Turkish incursions, the castle was an excellent and safe refuge for the population. Several legends are linked to the castle. On the top, carved into a boulder, the footprint of a woman's foot is still visible. The footprint is said to have belonged to Countess Matilda of Canossa, who received the castle from Pope Gregory VII. If the footprint therefore corresponded to a girl's foot, she would have discovered that she was descended from the Countess of Canossa. Another legend speaks of the footprint of the 'Queen'. A Greek queen apparently had the castle built and if the footprint matched that of a young girl's foot, the lucky girl would find the queen's treasure.
The Medieval Tower (11th century) stands guard over one of the four gates that allowed access to the city on the southern edge of the Giudecca enclosure. It is the only tower remaining as evidence of the ancient city walls.
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Palazzo Mesiani Mazzacuva (late 18th century) is located near the ancient defensive structures of the city. The main façade presents an articulation realised, according to laws of symmetry, with the use of mixed-face masonry. The two corner pilasters define the building, which has a string-course cornice and a concluding cornice within which windows and balconies are set. The entrance portal in late Renaissance style is made of light-coloured stone and features an arch flanked by pilasters with entablatures. The municipally owned palace is currently used for exhibitions and cultural events.
Palazzo Nesci (early 18th century) is located in the centre of the village in the main square. It was considerably damaged by the 1783 earthquake but was later fully restored. The palace, built with two L-shaped bodies, is on two floors and has a square plan with a central courtyard. The entire façade is articulated, according to laws of symmetry, with the use of mixed-face masonry with the insertion of large square stone ashlars. On either side of the round-arched portal, two pilasters support an entablature on which the Nesci family coat of arms is placed. Towards the end of the 19th century, a side vault was built connecting the upper floor of the palace with a terrace on a rock spur, with a beautiful panoramic view of the sea.
Palazzo Marzano (IXX sec.) is an aristocratic palace that was once home to the family of the same name and now houses the Town Hall.
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Palazzo Tuscano (19th century) is a noble palace, former home of the family of the same name and now the seat of the Aspromonte National Park Visitor Centre.
Arts and crafts traditions
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- Last Updated on Wednesday, 21 February 2024 11:08
- Published on Thursday, 23 May 2013 14:43
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The area's typical artistic handicrafts include woodworking, basket weaving and broom blanket weaving. In Bova, one can visit the 'Laboratorio Antica Bova', run by an association that deals with the artistic working of glass, where art and tradition are intertwined, and the stylistic themes of the Grecanica Area resurface in a modern guise in the objects made, and one can visit the 'Antiche tradizioni bovesi' association that makes bergamot soaps, and objects linked to Greek Calabrian traditions. Both are located near Piazza Roma, right in the historic centre of Bova.
Restaurants
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- Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 February 2024 16:58
- Published on Thursday, 23 May 2013 14:38
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Grecanico restaurant located in Via Polemo near the sports ground, 500 metres from the historic centre, with indoor and outdoor seating. In the restaurant there is a huge fireplace, typical genuine and seasonal cuisine cell. 3467159100
"KalosJero"reataurant located just before arriving in Bova with indoor and outdoor seating, panoramic terrace and games for children. Calabrian Greek cuisine and pizzeria cell. 3663582213
Agriturismo "O Uranò tu Vua-Il Cielo di Bova" located in contrada Milì 3 kilometres from Bova on the old provincial road, inside an old oil mill with indoor and outdoor seating is nestled in the countryside among the olive trees . Calabrian Greek cuisine and pizzeria cell. 3297162661
Al Borgo" Restaurant/Macelleria/Typical products sale. Located in the historic centre, it is a small family-run restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating and typical local cuisine cell. 3389006739
Rotisserie/Pizzeria takeaway "La lestopitta" . Located in the old town centre, above the Locomotiva, with outdoor seating and typical cuisine. Unique in the preparation of "Lestopitta "cell. 3492658552
Enoteca/Degusteria , located in the old town centre opposite the Locomotiva with indoor and outdoor seating and typical aperitifs with local wine produced by the Cantina Sociale di Bova cell. 3478786594
Restaurant La Taverna di Bova, located in the historic centre opposite the Post Office with outdoor and indoor seating and a wood-burning oven. Pizzeria and typical cuisine cell. Cell 3409120521- 3401216375
Bellavista Restaurant. Situated 5 km from the historical centre of Bova on the provincial road Bova-Bova Marina, it has indoor seating and serves typical cuisine. . Cell. 3481754551
Food and wine traditions
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- Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 February 2024 17:00
- Published on Thursday, 23 May 2013 14:41
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Local dishes are simple, poor and flavoured with the 'strong' and genuine flavours of a long pastoral and peasant tradition. They change according to the season and what the land generously offers.
Maccaruni homemade pasta shaped around cannìci (thin sticks of a herb), and cordeddi both seasoned with a sauce made from pieces of goat or pork meat cooked in tomato sauce (which are then separated and eaten as a main course) and sprinkled with salted ricotta, tagghiarini cu li ciciri, homemade pasta accompanied by chickpeas flavoured with bay leaves, and ricotta prupetti cooked in tomato sauce and flavoured with pecorino. Excellent served as an appetiser or aperitif are the lestopitte (thin pitte) unleavened sheets fried in olive oil that can be eaten empty or stuffed with the delicacies of the Calabrian Greek tradition. Zippole (zippole) are leavened dough sometimes twisted together with a piece of anchovy, stretched and always fried in olive oil. There is no shortage of cured meats such as capicollo and soppressata, and cheeses such as pecorino and musulupa (pictured), a typical Easter cheese produced in ancient wooden moulds handcrafted by shepherds that reproduce Byzantine Greek symbolism and symbolise fertility.
Sweets such as dried fruit, which used to be dried in the oven to be kept even in winter (figs, ficarazzi, toasted almonds) are linked to religious festivities and the making of Christmas sweets called 'petrali'. Easter sweets are the 'ngute', which are embellished with hard-boiled eggs. The oil is locally produced and so is the wine. The Cantina di Bova produces Fengari (white), Ambeli, Scerò and Marasà (red) from indigenous grapes. The red has a colour tending towards garnet, the nose is amply vinous with fine aromas of ripe red fruit and the taste is intense and harmonious-.
Museums
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- Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 February 2024 16:55
- Published on Thursday, 23 May 2013 14:30
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MUSEUM OF PALAEONTOLOGY AND NATURAL SCIENCES OF ASPROMONTE
From a geological point of view, the town of Bova stands on a 900-metre-high pre-Aspromonte relief that dominates a morphologically tormented and geologically interesting territory. The most striking aspects are given by geolitological and stratigraphic formations spanning a large span of time. The deposits consist of sandstones, calcarenites, sandy clays and marls resting on a core of crystalline-metamorphic rocks. Some formations are very rich in planktonic and benthic foraminiferal microfossils, attesting to deep, open sea conditions. Another interesting aspect is the lithology, whose mineralogical components denote tectonic events to which the area has been subjected over millions of years. In this context, the Museum of Palaeontology and Natural Sciences of the Aspromonte Park, which is housed in the premises of the old magistrate's court in Bova and was established in the mid-1980s, finds its rightful place. Inside, there are several rooms in which an ideal journey back in time is explained. It contains mainly artefacts from Calabria and Reggio Calabria in particular, although for didactic completeness specimens from various regions of the world such as North Africa and Northern Europe are also on display.
Of particular importance is a fragment of a dwarf deer jawbone found in Reggio Calabria, evidence of the insularity of this part of Italy. The museum intends to emphasise these aspects of naturalistic importance and wants to offer young people concrete examples of reality unfiltered by the interpretations of others. Each visitor will thus be able to personally grasp those impressions that have impressed him or her most. The jewel in the Museum's crown is the Museum Educational Laboratory for children and schools 'A paleontologist's day at the Museum of Palaeontology in Bova'. The use of the Laboratory and the Museum must be arranged with the Municipality of Bova tel 0965 762013 and email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
MUSEUM OF THE GREEK CALABRA LANGUAGE "Gerhard Rohlfs" www.museogerhardrohlfs.it
The Museum of the Greek Calabrian Language 'Gerhard Rohlfs' is located in the historical centre of Bova, one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy, which has been awarded the Orange Flag by the Italian Touring Club. The museum structure was inaugurated on 21 May 2016, thanks to the cooperation between the Aspromonte National Park and the public territorial bodies responsible for the valorisation and protection of the cultural heritage of the historical-linguistic minority of the Greeks of Calabria. It is located at the entrance to the village, in a particularly symbolic place, as it represents the exact spot where the traveller Edward Lear drew a beautiful view of Bova during his wanderings in Calabria in the mid-19th century.
Visiting the museum means having an opportunity for direct acquaintance with the Greek-Calabrian language, its history and its peculiarities, through exhibition panels that trace a cultural itinerary with the linguistic theses formulated by Gerhard Rohlfs who, as early as 1924, sustained the Magna-Greek origin of the language that still lives on in the Hellenophone villages of Bova, Gallicianò and Roghudi, Roccaforte del Greco on the most inaccessible slopes of southern Aspromonte.
The museum consists of six rooms, each dedicated to famous scholars who have been interested in the intangible heritage of the Greeks of Calabria. Inside, it is possible to delve into various aspects of the Greek language of Calabria, explained both through photos and historical documents, and through audio-visual installations that allow visitors to listen to and understand this ancestral language, dating back to the time of Homer, as well as the exhibition of ethnographic artefacts, which belonged to Gerhard Rohlfs himself and were donated by his son Eckart.
Through the exhibition layout, it is possible to retrace the vicissitudes of the German linguist, to learn about some archaic terms of the Greek-Calabrian language, and the scholar's hypotheses that stirred the sensibilities of the Italian linguists of the time, as they dismantled the regime's nationalist vision, highlighting how ancient Rome had not been able to Latinise the entire Italic peninsula.
Another part of the museum is dedicated to Franco Mosino, the Reggio Calabria philosopher, Greek scholar and intellectual who was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013, thanks to his thesis on the author of the epic poem known as the Odyssey; Here it is possible to investigate, through current archaeological and palaeographical data and reconstructions of historical settings, the course of the Greek-Calabrian language, its transformations by virtue of the contribution of Byzantine culture and later the influences exerted by the repeated foreign dominations that followed one after the other in the Aspromontane lands of the Greeks of Calabria. To be sure of the timetable and to arrange educational visits call the Municipality of Bova tel 0965.762013
PATH OF RURAL CIVILISATION www.sentierociviltacontadina.it
is an open-air museum in the municipality of Bova, capital of the Grecanica area of Calabria, conceived and realised by Saverio Micheletta.
It is a path that winds its way through the alleys of the ancient village where the main working tools of peasant culture have been installed: water and animal-powered millstones, oil presses and presses, troughs for animals, wine presses for crushing grapes, presses for extracting bergamot essence, and many other objects belonging to the ancient farming civilisation.
