The church of Santa Maria Iscalas stands on a plateau about six kilometres from Cossoine. Immersed in a picturesque landscape of woods and valleys, the white limestone used in its construction makes it clearly visible.
The church dating back to the early Byzantine era, was erected by the Camaldolesi monks. It has a Greek cross plan, and the central area is covered by a dome, from where four arms spread out towards the cardinal directions. On the wall leaning against the church, next to the door, is an apsal niche with a small window shaped like a crenel, similar to an apse. The presence of an iconographic Byzantine fresco, depicting the baptism of Christ, gives the idea that it housed a baptismal font.
The name iscalas (staircase) refers to the difficulty of the path leading from the village and church, at around 600 metres in height. The steep slope and effort made to climb it led the people of Cossoine to compare the path to climbing a staircase.
