Cattolica di Stilo

Stilo, Italy

The Cattolica was built in the 9th century, when Calabria was part of the Byzantine Empire. The name derives from the Greek word katholiki, which referred to the churches provided with a baptistery. It is one of the most important examples of Byzantine architecture, together with the church of San Marco in Rossano Calabro.

The Cattolica follow a plan with 'inscribed cross', typical of the middle Byzantine age. The interior is divided by four columns into five similar spaces. The square central space and the angled ones are covered by domes. The angled ones have tambours with the same diameter, while the central dome is slightly taller and larger.

The western sides lies on free rocks, while the southern area, ending with three apses, stands on three stone bases. The construction is in bricks.

The interior was once entirely covered with frescoes. The left apse has a bell built in 1577, when the church was converted to the Latin rite. The interior has also several inscriptions in Arabic, which have led scholars to suspect it could have been also used as a Muslim oratory.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Via Cattolica 7, Stilo, Italy
See all sites in Stilo

Details

Founded: 9th century AD
Category: Religious sites in Italy

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Nelson Perez (3 years ago)
Beautiful normando church! Not a lot of information. There is a fee to enter and you have to pay it online but the gate staff was kind, he did all the job!
Wietse Dol (3 years ago)
Italian history. You can not skip it.
M Dick (4 years ago)
Wow I enjoyed my visit to this enchanting little place in Stilo. The church sits within the most amazing scenery and is well worth a visit. There is an entry fee but it wasn't much (can't remember the exact price). I managed to take some amazing photo's. You have to drive into Stilo to get to the church up the hill. But it is well signposted and easy to find also with satellite navigation. There is a cafe and gift shop in the grounds that sell the most amazing little keepsakes to take home and not expensive. There is free car parking in the grounds too. I found the staff very helpful and polite and even helped to take some photos for me. I would recommend a visit to this beautiful little hidden gem in Italy you will not be disappointed.
Francesca Berlen (4 years ago)
The view from here is nice. Unless you can get here easily, I wouldn't rate it. The church is tiny and inside there are a couple of mosaics to see.
Andrea Guatteri (5 years ago)
The village is wonderful, but the cattolica church was already closed at 18. Please stay open longer than this. I'll be back for sure.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Rosenborg Castle

Rosenborg Palace was built in the period 1606-34 as Christian IV’s summerhouse just outside the ramparts of Copenhagen. Christian IV was very fond of the palace and often stayed at the castle when he resided in Copenhagen, and it was here that he died in 1648. After his death, the palace passed to his son King Frederik III, who together with his queen, Sophie Amalie, carried out several types of modernisation.

The last king who used the place as a residence was Frederik IV, and around 1720, Rosenborg was abandoned in favor of Frederiksborg Palace.Through the 1700s, considerable art treasures were collected at Rosenborg Castle, among other things items from the estates of deceased royalty and from Christiansborg after the fire there in 1794.

Soon the idea of a museum arose, and that was realised in 1833, which is The Royal Danish Collection’s official year of establishment.