San Giovanni in Fiore and the Florense Abbey
The town born around the abbey of Joachim of Fiore
On the Sila plateau, at about 1,050 metres, San Giovanni in Fiore is the largest town of the Sila, which grew up around the Abbazia Florense, the abbey founded at the end of the twelfth century by Joachim of Fiore (Gioacchino da Fiore), one of the most important and original thinkers of the Middle Ages. A Calabrian monk, abbot and theologian, Joachim developed a famous theory of history divided into three ages, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, announcing a future era of spiritual renewal, which deeply influenced medieval thought, the Franciscan movement and even later philosophers. Dante placed him in Paradise, in the twelfth canto of the Paradiso, describing him as "di spirito profetico dotato", gifted with prophetic spirit.
The abbey, built in local stone in a sober Romanesque style, with a single nave and a beautiful pointed portal, preserves the tomb of Joachim in the crypt, and the adjoining spaces house the Museo Demologico, dedicated to the life and traditions of the people of the Sila, with tools, costumes and objects of everyday life, including the traditional costume of the women, the "rituortu". San Giovanni in Fiore is also known for its tradition of goldsmith's art, with workshops that produce jewellery inspired by ancient designs and by the symbols of Joachim, and for its weaving, with carpets and blankets made on hand looms. The town, which suffered strong emigration in the twentieth century, is a starting point for exploring the Sila, with Lake Ampollino and Lake Arvo nearby.
Tip: visit the abbey and the Museo Demologico; look for the jewellery inspired by Joachim's "figurae" in the goldsmith workshops.
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