The Sanctuary of San Paolo, also known as the Church of San Paolo alla Rotonda, is an important church in Reggio Calabria, standing on via Reggio Campi next to piazza Rotonda, in a position overlooking the southern part of the city.
What to see
The Romanesque façade opens with three bronze portals: the central one, by Tommaso Gismondi, tells the life of Saint Paul, while the two side portals, both by Nunzio Bibbò, depict respectively the «door of evil» and the «door of good». Above, nine niches divided into three groups hold mosaics with figures of classical philosophers and writers — including Virgil, Cicero, Seneca, Aristotle, Plato and Socrates — alongside Church fathers such as Saint Augustine and Saint John Chrysostom and rulers such as Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great; a statue of Saint Paul stands on the churchyard.
The interior holds five hundred square metres of mosaics, partly the work of Nunzio Bava, depicting on the columns of the central nave episodes from the life of Christ, Gospel parables and the figures of the biblical patriarchs; on the balustrade stand four angels sculpted by Correale, while the apse shows the triumph of Christ enthroned, flanked by Saint Paul, Saint Stephen of Nicaea and hosts of angels. The baptismal font, by Nicola Berti, is flanked by two angels and four panels dedicated to Saint Paul, also by the same artist. Adjoining the sanctuary is the Museo San Paolo, with a picture gallery and a vast collection of sacred objects.
Visiting
The sanctuary is open for worship according to service times, worth checking before visiting; the adjoining Museo San Paolo has its own opening hours.
Our editors' tip
Take your time over the niches on the façade: the pairing of pagan philosophers and Church fathers, of Cicero and Saint Augustine, is an unusual iconographic choice that expresses a deliberate idea of continuity between classical wisdom and Christian faith.
