BOSCO

Bosco, whose name derives from the ancient woods which surrounded the first settlement in the area, is situated at 420 metres above sea level on a small hill on the slopes of Mount Bulgaria.
The origins of this ancient village are associated with the parochial church of San Nicola which was part of an important abbey erected by Byzantine monks in the 10th century. Having discovered surroundings similar to those back home, these monks settled permanently in the area and, in addition to founding numerous hermitages, convents, religious communes and abbeys, dedicated much of their attention to improving local agriculture.
With the end of Byzantine domination and the arrival of the Normans, Benedictine monks also arrived in the area. The Benedictines took over the San Nicola Abbey which for the following five centuries was administered under what was known as “Badia nullias Dioecesis” - independent jurisdiction.