Between Stilo and Guardavalle amidst the dear fruits of Tommaso Campanella

The medieval village of Stilo, perched on a promontory above the Ionian coast of Calabria, at the top of the valley furrowed by the Stilaro river, behind that Mount Consolino in whose belly the Greek Byzantine monks prayed inside caves called eremitic laurels, is famous for being the birthplace of the thinker Tommaso Campanella. Its religious heritage is also invaluable, starting with the Catholic Church, an architectural marvel with a Greek plan dating back to the 10th century, which also sprouts from the bare rock, with its characteristic oriental-style domes, the result of the interweaving of large bricks made by assembling mortar, while inside, the four reused columns all different from each other stand out. Through the path of the Stations of the Cross with its 14 stations, one reaches the remains of the castle, traces of which date back to 1093. Also worth a careful visit are the 14th-century Matrix Church with its splendid portal, the Church of San Giovanni Therestis and the adjoining Convent of the Liguorini Fathers, whose cloister houses a remarkable granite well, as well as the Dolphin Fountain, also with its arabesque design. And after this cultured artistic adventure, you can move on to nearby Guardavalle, to the immense citrus groves where Villa Vittoria is located. In this agritourism, not far from the paths traced out on the Calabrian Serre, amid museums dedicated to rural civilisation and wine, watchtowers and trappeti, you are surrounded by trees, enjoying dishes made from their fruit.