The Orthodox Church of San Paolo dei Greci is a place of Orthodox worship in Reggio Calabria's Sbarre district, one of the city's youngest churches and at the same time inspired by ancient Byzantine models.
What to see
Its story begins in May 2008, when a congregation of Athonite monks from the Greek monastery of the Paraclete in Oropos, visiting Calabria to mark the centenary of the 1908 earthquake, also came to Reggio, on whose shores, according to tradition, the apostle Paul landed on his way to Rome; finding the local Greek Orthodox church in dilapidated condition, the monks asked and obtained the Municipality's permission to build a new place of worship dedicated to the Apostle at their own expense. The first stone was laid in September 2009 in a ceremony presided over by Metropolitan Gennadios, Orthodox Archbishop of Italy and Malta, and the church was consecrated and opened to the public in September 2010.
The first Orthodox church rebuilt in Reggio after centuries, the building's design draws on the church of Sant'Antonio il Grande in the Archi district, the last one built in the city before the arrival of the Normans: it has a rectangular Greek-cross plan, sloping roofs, a large central dome surrounded by semicircular domes of various sizes, and mullioned and triple windows on its façades. Inside, three naves converge on the choir reserved for the clergy, separated from the faithful by a tall iconostasis decorated with images of the saints.
Visiting
The church is open for worship according to the times of Orthodox services, worth checking before visiting.
Our editors' tip
If you have the chance to attend a service, watch the iconostasis during the moments when its doors open: it is one of the few places in Reggio where you can see up close the Byzantine liturgy that once, centuries ago, characterised the whole city.
