San Benedetto Ullano between Byzantine Culture and Nature

A Small Arbëreshë Town with Its Own Tradition

San Benedetto Ullano is a small town of Arbëreshë origin. To this day, the town preserves its culture, language and Byzantine rite. This makes it a destination whose appeal lies not only in its historic townscape, but also in a living cultural heritage. Those interested in local identity, religious traditions and the history of Greek-Albanian communities will find several closely interconnected points of interest here.

Church, Collegio and Historic Forms

The Church of San Salvatore in Piano dei Rossi was built in characteristic, reinterpreted forms of the Byzantine style. Another important stop is the Collegio Corsini. It was founded in 1732 by Pope Clement XII of the Corsini family as a university institution for the education of Greek-Albanian clergy. Both places reflect the religious and cultural history that continues to shape San Benedetto Ullano today.

The historic centre also deserves careful attention. Impressive 18th-century portals with coats of arms can be found there. Numerous arches and small arches are characteristic of the Gjitonie. This townscape is complemented by Porte Narranti, an open-air museum spread throughout the historic centre and consisting of old doors designed by artists. Here, history, architecture and artistic design can be encountered not just in a single building, but at various locations throughout the centre.

Festivals with Religious and Arbëreshë Character

Several dates give the town’s calendar a distinctive cultural character. The Açiomeri procession still takes place on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. The Feast of Madonna del Buon Consiglio is celebrated on the first Sunday in May. This festival includes the Vallije, dances in Arbëreshë dress along the town’s streets. If you would like to organise your trip around religious and community traditions, these fixed calendar dates provide important points of reference.

Another tradition is the Kalimera. It is sung on the Saturday before Palm Sunday, Lazarus Saturday. It is a hymn of blessing commemorating the resurrection of Lazarus. Together with the processions and the Feast of Madonna del Buon Consiglio, the Kalimera shows how closely religious practice, language and public celebration are interconnected in San Benedetto Ullano.

Lake, Beech Forest and a Higher-Elevation Landscape

Most of the Laghicello Natura 2000 protected area (SAC IT9310061) lies within the municipality, while part of it is located in the municipality of Fuscaldo. The area includes a small lake surrounded by beech forest. Chestnut trees and Neapolitan alder also grow in the forest. In addition to the town’s cultural attractions, this gives you access to a natural area where the lake, woodland and different tree species shape the landscape.

The SP31 provincial road leads from the town centre to the hamlet of Sella Laghicello at an altitude of 1,135 metres. This route makes the spatial difference between the historic centre and the higher-elevation landscape easy to understand. When planning your stay, you can therefore weigh up whether to focus more on the townscape, churches and festival traditions or on the landscape around Laghicello. You can also choose the location of your accommodation according to your preferred daily rhythm.

More Destinations for Planning Your Trip

If you would like to add more places to your trip, you can also consider Camigliatello Silano, Taverna, Torricella, Bonifati, Longobardi, Alessandria del Carretto, Parenti and Castrovillari.

For the overarching travel overview: Cosenza.