Santa Maria della Roccella e la seconda generazione di architettura sacra nella Contea normanna di Calabria e Sicilia

This article contextualizes the church of S. Maria della Roccella near Squillace, now in ruins, in the second phase of Norman architectural patronage in the county of Calabria and Sicily (early 12th century). The building, which was probably left unfinished during the Norman period, was used as a fortress until the 18th century. The huge dimensions of the church, the wide use of spolia bricks and the vaulting systems of Roman tradition suggest that S. Maria della Roccella was the product of a very ambitious patronage. Despite its remarkable antiquing appearance, the church shares many features with contemporary sacred architecture of Norman Calabria and Sicily, such as the presence of a single nave, a wide transept, three apses en échelon and a crypt. This paper proposes that the project was conceived around 1120 in the context of the conflict between the bishopric of Squillace, one of the oldest dioceses in Calabria, and the newborn bishopric of Catanzaro