Stiolo is situated on the eastern slope of Mount
Consolino plateau, a few kilometers from the Ionian sea and is one
of the most characteristic towns in Calabria for its historical
and aestetical wealth. It is an ancient town, founded in the VII
century during the period of the Saracen pillages, where the coastal
inhabitants were forced to retreat to the foot of mount Consolino,
the only place that offered a safe refuge. The most important historical
monument of Stilo is a small Greek-Bizantine temple, called 'Cattolica'
(from the Greek word Katholikè meaning universal)
whose construction dates back to the X century. This church was
a meeting place for the Bizantine monks that lived int he caves
on Mount Consolino. It is the greatest example of Bizantine architecture
in Calabria and it is a perfect miniature reproduction of similar
temples in Armenia and Turkey.
Other important buildings are the Cathedral,
constructed in 1300, but later restored several times, and the churches
of San Francesco and San
Giovanni .
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Stilo ia also known to have been the birthplace of the
great Renaissance philosopher
Tommaso Campanella.
Born in a very poor family, to acquire an education he became
a Dominican friar. Because of his liberal ideas, he was persecuted
as heretic, but eventually was received in France by cardinal
Richelieu with all honors. He wrote numeorus books, among
which the most famous is 'The City of Sun'.
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