Laura of the Shepherdess: small rock church in Stilo

What is it and where is the Laura of the Shepherdess.

Stilo is a Calabrian village famous for the wonderful Cattolica, a peculiar church leaning against Mount Consolino, a witness to the Byzantine faith in these lands. What many people do not know is that in addition to the Cattolica there is a rich presence of laure, or rock churches, which embody the deepest sense of spirituality of the Basilian hermits. One of the most beautiful and easily accessible is the Laura of the Shepherdess or Santa Maria di Tramontana, set like a gem in the living rock above the town, where the silence of the mountains blends with history.

Why it is special: an oasis of Eastern asceticism in the West

This place represents the essence of Eastern asceticism transplanted to Calabria. The little church is not a building, but a womb carved out of stone where human work fits into the wilderness of Mount Consolino. Upon entering, one is enveloped in a simple yet powerful atmosphere: the steep steps leading up to the bottom of the laura, the small window that lets the light through and sees the sky, that madonna painted on tin holding the Child and surrounded by lambs, and the stone altar carved with care and devotion. It is a spiritual balcony that offers an unparalleled view of the Stilaro Valley, allowing the traveler to feel, for a moment, part of that ancient mysticism.

A bit of history

The Laura of the Shepherdess first appears in written chronicles in 1115 and was dedicated to St. Mary of Tramontana. It was only in the 1900s, many centuries later, that the structure in front of it was added (a very small roof and a door) and that it could be called a "rock church." Behind the altar there is still the original niche, the very first worship space excavated in this rock.