Stilo

Calabria's beautiful Byzantine town also bears markers of the Middle Ages and Baroque periods, making it one of the region's most fascinating places. The cathedral was constructed in the Medieval period with Gothic portals and Roman bas relief sculptures recovered ruins and inserted on its facade. The old town's streets are an intriguing maze of lanes with staircases and archways winding among the palazzi and houses, opening suddenly into a small piazza or overlook.

Sitting below Mt. Consolino on a bluff, the town overlooks the olive and vine-draped hills down to the Ionian Sea. This idyllic setting drew ancient Greek settlers and then Basilian monks from the East who came and settled in rustic style in the natural caves of the hills. They carved out rooms and rock churches, leaving behind impressive frescos. The Byzantine monks established the town and the built the beautiful basilica known as La Cattolica, a 10th century Byzantine church that is one of Calabria's most famous churches. The Cattolica is an architectural gem built on a panoramic point overlooking the tile roofs of Stilo and the countryside beyond. The hill top temple is a square brick building with five terra cotta-capped cupolas, decorated in Byzantine designs. Four central columns came from ancient Kaulon, a Greek colony that had been destroyed. The temple design permits a unique quality of light to enter and play on the interior.

The ruins of the Norman castle still stand on the hill, and there are plenty of country roads that afford nice walks with lovely views. The former monastery of San Giovanni Theresti is now home to a contemporary art museum showcasing more than 70 artists, as well as an archeology museum that displays artifacts from the area's millennia of history. The former mining village of Pazzano is quaintly placed below a mountain peak, entrance tunnels to the mines still visible. Don't miss the Sanctuary of Monte Stella, an age-old rock church placed into a natural crevice in the mountain. The village of Bivongi is also part of Stilo; walking its narrow steep narrow alleys is a trip back in time. You'll find the Ecomuseum dedicated to the area's mining, forestry, quarries and metallurgy.

While Stilo is a small town, it does have some excellent restaurants, coffee bars and stores for everyday needs. The Ionian coast is just a few minutes away, with its long stretches of sandy beaches.