Chiesa di San Giovanni Crisostomo

The Church of San Giovanni Crisostomo, known in Gerace as San Giovannello, is a small Byzantine-era church that served as the principal church of a women’s monastery. Paolo Orsi considered the building significant enough to merit special preservation, and the municipal tourism portal compares its regional importance with the Cattolica of Stilo.

Why it matters

Archaeological test excavations in the square in 1995 revealed traces of the women’s monastery dedicated to Saint John Chrysostom. The church preserves features of Byzantine religious architecture within the closely built fabric of Gerace’s historic centre.

What to notice

The west entrance is framed by two pilasters and an oculus surrounded by a ring of bricks. A second portal on the north side has an arch of ashlar blocks above an architrave. The apse is twisted relative to the rest of the church, and its small window is set off-centre. Inside, niches known as the prothesis and diaconicon reflect functions in the Byzantine liturgy. The church’s original colour scheme has not survived.

Context and history

The church was the katholikon, or principal church, of a women’s monastery dedicated to San Giovanni Crisostomo. Its architectural details are compared with other Greek-rite churches in the region. Paolo Orsi’s early preservation appeal helped draw attention to the church’s historical value.