San Giovanni Theristis

The Monastery of San Giovanni Theristis

Romanian Orthodox Diocese for Italy.^[1]

History

Calabria was part of the

Stilaro Valley during the 9th century. His aghiasma ("holy font") became a popular center of local pilgrimage, and here a Byzantine monastery was founded in the 11th century. After the Norman conquest of southern Italy, it developed as one of the most important Basilian

monasteries in southern Italy, maintaining its splendour until the 15th century, with a rich library and numerous art treasures.

It lived a phase of decline until 1579, when the founding of the Basilian Order of Italy restored it as the main Basilian center in southern Calabria. However, in the 17th century

Bartholomew I

visited the monastery and returned here the saint's relic from Stilo.

In July 2008, the city council of Bivongi has granted the use of the church for 99 years to the newly formed Romanian Orthodox Church in Italy.

Description

The edifice is an example of transition between the

ogival

.

Clearly Byzantine is the exterior, in particular in the external walls, in the fake columns of the apse, which forms ogival arches, and in the 16 small columns decorating the dome's tambour. The interior also houses traces of Byzantine frescoes, such as that portraying St. John Theristis.

References

^ "OrienteCristiano.com". ww.orientecristiano.com.

External links

Official website (in Italian)

38°29′41″N 16°28′16″E / 38.49472°N 16.47111°E / 38.49472; 16.47111

[1] "OrienteCristiano.com". ww.orientecristiano.com.

[1]

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	Vatican