The city of Santa Severina was founded by the Enotrians, who lived in this region before the Greek colonizers arrived. The antique historians called this place Siberene. Only little is known from the Graeco-Roman period. However, archaeological excavations prove that the Greeks and Romans were the founders of blossoming settlements. Byzanz ruled from 1073-74, only interrupted by a short Arabian interlude (840-886). Previously the byzantinians turned Siberene into an important religious center, that was to be the home of a pope: Zachary, pontiff from 741 to 752. In the 10th century, the city got its modern name: Santa Severina. Between 1075 and 1076 the Normans ruled the city, lead by Robert the Guiscard. From this point on, Santa Seveverina was subject to the many power struggles that raged in Southern Italy for centuries. Nevertheless, the city remained an important cultural and religious place. The rule by the house of Aragón was followed by the Anjou. Those were superseded by feudal lords such as the Carafa, the Ruffo and the Grutter at the threshold of the 19th century.
The fascinating geographical location – exactly between the coasts of the Ionic sea and the mountains of Sila – turns Santa Severina into an ideal starting point for all kinds of excursions and trips to touristic highlights such as the Isola Capo Rizzuto (maritime nature reserve), Le Castella and Crotone; or to the Florentine abbey San Giovanni in Fiore, Lorica, Camigliatello and Trepidò in the mountains, where wonderful pine woods and the lakes of Sila can be discovered. Nature awaits you – whether in Santa Severina itself or in its vicinities. The mountain Fuscaldo (625 m) that was described by the Greek poet Theocritus (ca. 305-250 BC) in his fourth idyll has kept its fascination until today. The luxuriant Mediterranean macchia, the woods, the views – this region is esteemed very highly by all lovers of nature. Not long ago, this paradise – featuring rare animals; especially birds such as the “capovaccaio” and the black stork – was recognized as a nature reserve.
The history of Santa Severina can be found in its complex monuments that turn this little center of the Crotonese “Marchesato” into a true pearl of Calabria’s historical-cultural panorama.