Dipignano and Tessano, the coppersmiths’ village
Dipignano is a hill village in the province of Cosenza, at about 720 metres above sea level. Tessano, where Villa Victoria stands, is one of its hamlets. The village is known for its master coppersmiths, who from the 14th century took their craft all over Italy.
The Copper and Old Crafts Museum
It is right in Tessano, on Via Pulsano. It holds around 4,000 objects and tools linked to copper working and a reconstructed old coppersmith’s workshop. Check opening times before you go.
The Sanctuary of the Madonna della Catena
The sanctuary was made a Minor Basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1966 and holds marble work and frescoes. Devotion to the Madonna della Catena is deeply felt in the village.
The church of the Madonna delle Grazie
A 15th-century church with an adjoining Franciscan convent. Its restored crypt houses a small museum of sacred art.
