The west front of the Cattolica di Stilo, a Byzantine monastic church above Stilo in Calabria, Italy. ‘La Cattolica’ was built in the 800s AD by troglodyte Basilian monks to a square Greek cross plan. It has a simple brick facade, five drum towers decorated in diagonal terracotta tiling, three eastern apses, and four re-used central columns from the ancient Greek coastal colony of Kaulonia or Kaulon, destroyed by Rome in 200 BC.
Stilo, Calabria, Italy: the Cattolica di Stilo, a compact monastic church built in the 9th century to a square Greek cross plan with three eastern apses, has a simple brick facade surmounted by five restored drum towers decorated with terracotta tiles and roofed by shallow cupolas or domes. ‘La Cattolica’ was built in typical Byzantine style by Basilians, Catholic monks following the rule of St Basil the Great, who lived in clusters of natural caves on the slopes of Monte Consolino. It is the only church of its kind in Calabria and is widely regarded as an architectural gem. Inside, four central columns are re-used relics from the destroyed ancient Greek coastal colony of Kaulonia or Kaulon. Layered remnants of the vivid frescoes from the Byzantine to the Angevin periods that once covered the walls are flooded with daylight from round-arched windows in the five towers. Several Arabic inscriptions have led scholars to believe that the building may once have been used as a Muslim oratory. One inscription translates as: "There is only one true God". Stilo, on a terraced hillside above the Stilaro river, was probably founded by former inhabitants of Kaulon fleeing the Roman destruction of their city on the Ionian Sea. It thrived as later generations of coastal dwellers sought inland safety from Saracen raids, becoming an important Calabrian city that achieved autonomy under the Normans and maintained power and influence for several centuries. Remnants of Stilo’s medieval defensive walls and town gates survive and high above the town, a ruined 11th century Norman castle sits on the summit of Monte Consolino.
Size: 2832px × 4256px
Location: Stilo, Calabria, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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