Gerace (Calabria)

Gerace is a town and comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria, Calabria, in southern Italy. It is located some 10 kilometers inland from Locri, yet the latter town and the sea can be seen from Gerace's perch atop a 500-meter vertical rock. The town stands on a hill formed of conglomerates of sea fossils from 60 million years ago. It is inscribed into 'I Borghi più belli d'Italia' list (the most beautiful villages in Italy). The main attractions of Gerace are the remains of the old Norman Castle (probably begun in the 10th century by the Byzantines) at the top of Gerace, and the perfectly preserved medieval town. Gerace was once home to 128 churches; the most noteworthy amongst the remaining ones include: Church of St. Francis (13th century), containing a precious Baroque altar; the Norman Cathedral, the largest religious building in Calabria, including the prison of the Five Martyrs of Gerace (1045); the tiny Greek-Orthodox church of San Giovannello ("Little St. John") and the Santa Maria del Mastro (1083), of Greek rite until 1480.