Abbazia di Santa Maria di Corazzo, Medieval abbey ruins in Carlopoli, Italy.
The Abbazia di Santa Maria di Corazzo is a monastery ruin set in green hills near the Corace River valley in Calabria, standing at about 730 meters above sea level. The surviving stone walls and arches reveal the layout of a large religious complex with several buildings for worship, housing, and farming operations spread across the site.
The abbey was founded around 1100 by Benedictine monks and later rebuilt by Cistercian monks in the 12th century who expanded its influence and reach. It eventually declined and was abandoned as monastic communities shifted to other regions.
The abbey served as a gathering place for scholars and a center of theological learning, where monks copied and collected valuable manuscripts that drew thinkers from across the region.
The site is best explored on foot as the paths between ruins are uneven and sometimes steep. Local volunteers occasionally offer guided tours that explain the buildings and their original functions in detail.
The monks diverted water from the nearby river and built an aqueduct system to supply their fields and mills with water. This engineering work demonstrates how technically skilled the community was.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
