Dominating the ancient village from the top of the hill, the Cathedral of Santa Maria dell’Isodia is Bova’s most important religious symbol and one of the most significant sacred buildings in the Grecanica area. Probably built on a primitive early Christian structure, its origins date back to the 9th century, but its current appearance is the result of reconstructions and extensions that took place in the late 17th and early 19th centuries. The name “Isodia” derives from the Greek Eisodia – “Presentation” – and recalls the village’s ancient connection with the Byzantine rite, which is still alive in the cultural soul of the community.
The exterior features a finely carved tufa stone portal, surmounted by the bishop’s coat of arms, and a sober but harmonious facade. The interior, with a three-nave basilica plan, is supported by elegant columns that punctuate the space and accompany the eye to the apse, where stands the imposing marble high altar, commissioned in 1933 by Monsignor Giuseppe Cognata. In the center of the niche is the venerated statue of Our Lady of the Presentation with Child, carved in white marble and dating from 1584, attributed to Rinaldo Bonanno. Both figures wear two antique silver crowns from 1614, with the coat of arms of Bishop Giovanni Camerota.
Among the most valuable artistic elements is the splendid Altar of the Blessed Sacrament in the right aisle, made in 1714 in polychrome marble inlaid by skilled Sicilian craftsmen, commissioned by the nobleman Fabio Nesci. Next door is the Chapel of the Crucifix, dated 1754, which once housed an 18th-century wooden crucifix.
A burial crypt, used until the 18th century to house the remains of the deceased, is still visible in the floor of the nave. The Cathedral’s massive and austere bell tower houses four bells, including the famous March bell, which once announced every Friday of Lent, reminding the community of the time of penance.
Bova Cathedral, with its layering of styles, rituals and symbols, is not only a place of worship, but also a powerful witness to the thousand-year history and deep identity of this Greek-Calabrian village.
