Overview
Once called Terra Sancti Felicis, in honour of Saint Felix, the present-day town of San Fili, in the province of Cosenza, is an ancient village suspended between the sacred and the profane: known as the ‘’Land of the Witches‘’, it is also the destination of pilgrims who set out along the ‘’Hermit's Path‘’, in the footsteps of Saint Francis of Paola.
Who are the magàre? Women who have gone down in history as witches and sorceresses, capable of removing the evil eye (sfàscino) and preparing love potions. The ‘’Night of the Witches‘’ event is dedicated to these legendary female figures every year, with female masquerades, musical performances and tastings.
The historical centre of San Fili winds around the Mother Church of the Santissima Annunziata, inside which a carved wooden choir and several 18th-century works stand out. The very symbol of the building is the side bell tower, with its large 19th-century clock by the Blasi brothers. Other churches worth visiting are the Church of the Immacolata, the Church of the Ritiro, with works by Gagini, and Santa Lucia.
In addition to the charm of the old town and its mythological figures, to which we can add the ‘’Fantastica‘’ (a sort of witch-beast), San Fili is a sacred place for the followers of San Francesco di Paola, who reach it by following one of the three Paths dedicated to the patron saint of Calabria: the ‘’Hermit's Path‘’, which arrives in San Fili by crossing the Fiumicelle Bridge and leads pilgrims to the statue of Francis.
