Stilo

La Cattolica di Stilo is a tenth-century church of the Byzantine period, about seven metres square, built of brick on the slope of Monte Consolino above the village, with a Greek cross plan and five small drum domes covered in tile. Four columns inside carry the vaults, and some are set upside down, taken from earlier buildings. Traces of Byzantine fresco survive. The Basilian monastic communities of this part of Calabria used Greek rite and language for centuries, and the building reflects that. Tommaso Campanella, the philosopher who wrote The City of the Sun, was born in Stilo in 1568.

What you actually see

• The five domes - small tiled drums on a brick Greek cross plan.
• The reused columns - four supports, some set upside down.
• The frescoes - fragments of Byzantine painting inside.
• The hillside setting - the church above the village on Monte Consolino.

When to go

April to October; the church keeps limited hours and a midday closure, and access is sometimes by arrangement in the village. It is very small, about half an hour.

Honest expectations

The building is tiny and the visit short. Opening hours are erratic and may require finding the custodian. The approach is a steep walk or narrow drive.

Nearby

The Ionian coast lies east; Serra San Bruno is inland.