Chiesa di San Martino di Giove in Canale (o Grancia di San Martino)

San Martino di Giove in Canale, or Grancia di San Martino, is a church located in Canale, a few kilometers from Pietrafitta (CS). The site is undoubtedly one of the most significant places in medieval Calabria, as important as it is unknown, although recently restored. Here, in the 10th century, a group of Basilic hermits led by S. Ilarione lived in the center of Italy, to escape Saracen invasions. The complex, built before the 11th century, included a small convent where the abbot Gioacchino da Fiore lived and died. The death of Gioacchino in Canale in 1202 gave way to history: here his remains were kept for several years before being transported to San Giovanni in Fiore, in Florentine Abbey. Restoration work have allowed to identify the masonry of original structure of the church: the nave was reopened in its entirety and the roof restored with exposed trusses, as well as the small side chapel and the local annex that could serve as a dwelling.