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At the Seminary of Calabria and Cozentsa, Metropolitan Thessaliotidos and the excursioniststranslated

October 3, 2026 · 1 min read

After completing their tour of Sicily, His Eminence Metropolitan Mr. Timotheus and the members of the excursion of the Holy Metropolis of Thessaly and Phanariophersalon continued, on Friday, October 2, 2026, their pilgrimage and historical journey in Southern Italy, with destination Calabria and the historic city of Cozensa. In the early hours of the morning, the excursion group left Catania and, following a particularly interesting route, headed towards the Straits of Messina, where the crossing from Sicily to Calabria took place.

An important pilgrimage stop of the day was the visit to the Orthodox Holy Monastery of the Holy Sun of Neos and Filaretos of Kipouros, in the Seminary of Calabria, in the area of Rigi, Calabria.

The Monastery is located in the old Salinas Valley, in the wider area of the Gioia Tauro Plain, and is an important point of reference for the Orthodox presence and the historical tradition of Byzantine and Greco-Calabrian monasticism in Southern Italy.

The history of the monastery site goes back to the centuries of Byzantine monasticism in Calabria and is particularly associated with Saint Ilias the Younger, the…

Source: Orthodoxia News Agency · Read the full story →

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Олег Голубев

It is interesting that they sailed from Catania early in the morning through the Strait of Messina and immediately found themselves in this ancient Salina Valley. The Monastery of Elijah the New and Philaret Sadovnik in Seminara — a place where the Byzantine spirit is still felt to this day. It is good that our Greek brothers make such trips, as they strengthen the soul.

Софья Новикова

Yes, the route through the Strait of Messina is really beautiful, especially in the early morning. In the Seminar, they say, old Byzantine frescoes have been preserved, which are still being restored. Have you been to those parts yourself or do you only know from stories?

Михаил Лебедев

Yes, a strait in the early morning is a different story, especially when the sun is just rising over the water. And I heard about the frescoes in the Seminar, but I was not there myself, only from the stories of our pilgrims. Sophia, have you been to those places in person?