What to see in Italy: The San Fantino Complex in Taureana di Palmi, the oldest place of worship in Calabria

What to see in Italy: The San Fantino Complex in Taureana di Palmi, the oldest place of worship in Calabria.

The archaeological complex of San Fantino is an area located in Palmi, in Via del vescovato a Taureana, consisting of a 19th-century church, the remains of previous early Christian and medieval churches and the 'crypt of San Fantino', the oldest Christian place of worship in Calabria which once held the remains of the saint of the same name. Today, the title of the church of San Fantino has been transferred to the new parish church built in 1963, in Via del Mare.

photo below:

The temple of San Fantino

History

In 1952, in the church of San Fantino, which had already been abandoned due to the construction of a new place of worship in another area of Taureana, excavations were carried out which brought to light, quite by chance, the crypt of San Fantino, in which the titular saint was probably buried.

In 1993-1994, new archaeological excavations were carried out, which brought to light the early Christian-Byzantine complex. In addition, the restoration of the former 19th-century church, now a museum, was begun by the 'Movimento Culturale San Fantino', a voluntary cultural association that obtained the adoption of the complex in 1998.

Renovation work on the temple was completed in the 21st century.

Description

La chiesa ottocentesca

It was built in 1857 by Abbot Pietro Militano, with the entrance facing south, as a reconstruction of the previous church destroyed in the 1783 earthquake.

The remains of the Byzantine basilica

The remains of the 6th-8th century Byzantine basilica are superimposed on the crypt, facing east, and are located outside the present temple, in the east wall. Behind the church, in the 1993 excavation, the pavements and two apses of the above-mentioned basilica emerged.

The medieval church

In the 1993 excavations the floors of the church rebuilt in 1552 by Count Pietro Antonio Spinelli, feudal lord of Seminara and Palmi, also came to light. The inner walls of this church were found, aligned on the east-west axis with the entrance to the north.

There are traces of paint on the plaster. The excavations continued on the outer left side of the church and under the walls emerged the structures of the two Byzantine and Medieval churches and some graves (now covered), probably of monks from the monastery built in 1552. These discoveries confirmed the historical information contained in the 'bios' of San Fantino.

The crypt of San Fantino

The crypt is the place where the urn with the remains of San Fantino was originally placed. It is a large underground space, below the temple, which was supposedly used as a nymphaeum already in the 2nd century, i.e. in Roman times. Newer, more credible hypotheses propose a cistern-like structure from Roman times, evidently reused after the Saint's death as a burial place. However, experts agree that the crypt of San Fantino in Taureana di Palmi is the oldest Christian place of worship in Calabria.

Its structure resembles that of a basin. The two longitudinal walls are each marked by four blind arches. In the eastern wall there is also a blind arch outlined as a diaphragm in the wall. At the bottom of the arch there is a trapezoidal opening, which was the inward end of a water conduit flowing in from outside. Inscriptions from the 4th century suggest that the room was used as a Christian burial place.

The walls and the vault are of mixed brickwork. Many of the bricks bear factory stamps with the words 'TAYPIANOIM' and 'APMOAICKOY'. As mentioned, the crypt is mentioned in the bios of St Fantino, which speaks of a 'lower tomb' where water flowed and where the saint's relics were once laid. The presence of water, attested in the life and miracles of the saint, is still considered blessed and miraculous. The walls must have been frescoed, and as such appeared in 1952, at the time of the discovery. The figure of St John Chrysostom, now largely obliterated, and Saints Basil and Gregory were clearly visible.

There were also fragments of a mosaic floor.

fonte: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complesso_di_San_Fantino

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