Stilo, named as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, is located in the Reggio Calabria province and hosts spectacular views out to the Ionian coast. Famous for its Byzantine ‘Cattolica’ church above, the small town also boasts a Norman castle, a beautiful old centre and a diving centre situated 10 miles inland! Visitors to the region take excursions especially to visit Stilo’s Cattolica from the 9th century, yet it is worth visiting the traditional ‘centro storico’ to appreciate the charm of the crumbling streets and the breathtaking views from its elevation of 380 metres above sea level.
The Cattolica Byzantine church in Stilo is the town’s most famous attraction. It is set on the hill above the town, in an imposing position despite its small size. It was first built in the 9th century, with a square plan with a cross arrangement typical of the middle Byzantine era. The dome of the central area is higher than the others, almost creating an appearance of small turrets from the outside. Frescos dating from Norman times were only discovered on the interior walls in 1927.
As is typical of Italian towns, Stilo also has a selction of other churches as well as the duomo (cathedral), which date from the 14th to the 18th centuries. Take the time to wander through the old town, with steep cobbled streets which wind between houses perched in the typical medieval Italian manner. Watch the world go by and enjoy an ice cream in the piazza in front of the church, where young children often play games in the evenings. Enjoy the slow pace of Southern Italy, where you will see a number of houses for sale in the old town should you wish to own your own piece of la dolce vita!
Another piece of Stilo’s history is the Norman castle high above the town at the top of Mount Consolino. There are 2 possible routes climbing up the hill- one from ‘La cattolica’ and the other from the cemetery. The former is a steep footpath which will take approximately 30-40 minutes, and the latter a longer zig-zag with less of a gradient. This pathway is just about passable by car, yet is gravelled and steep, so we recommend leaving the car in the large car park by the cemetery and making the hike up. It is worth the effort for the spectacular views from the top, through the mountains to the Ionian sea, as well as the crumbling castle itself.
