Church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria

The Church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria is located in the heart of the historic centre of Santa Caterina dello Ionio, in the province of Catanzaro. Its original nucleus dates back to the late Middle Ages, between the 11th and 12th centuries, when it was a small chapel linked to an Italian-Greek monastic hermitage. In the 14th century, the place of worship was enriched with the birth of a lay fraternity which, in 1530, was officially recognised as a Confraternity. The dedication to the saint confirms the spread of the cult of Saint Catherine in Calabria between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

The complex of the Church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria extends to the edge of the old town of Santa Caterina dello Ionio, along Via di Santa Caterina. In addition to the main church, it includes several rooms built for functional purposes and the ancient 'manica longa', which housed the hospital of Saint Catherine, connected to the church by small buildings that delimit an internal courtyard. All the properties belong to the Confraternita di Santa Caterina V. e M. Alessandrina, a charitable organisation founded in 1530 and recognised by Royal Decree of Ferdinand IV of Bourbon in 1777. The organisation answers to the canonical authority of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Catanzaro-Squillace, and the buildings registered in its name are listed as architectural heritage under Legislative Decree 42/2004.

Religious celebrations linked to the church include the patron saint's day of Santa Caterina, which takes place on 25 November with liturgical celebrations, the display of relics, the participation of confraternities, a marching band and evening shows. The most popular festival is on the second Sunday in July, with strong involvement from the emigrant community. In the past, the festival was celebrated on the first Sunday in June on the occasion of the dedication, then it was moved to the first Sunday in July in 1738 and finally set for the second Sunday in July to avoid overlapping with the Feast of the Precious Blood. During the patron saint's festival, processions of the statue and relic take place, with the participation of the brothers, the faithful from neighbouring villages such as Guardavalle, Badolato and Monasterace, accompanied by a marching band and evening shows.

Other religious events linked to the church include the Corpus Domini procession, with decorated altars and children throwing petals, and the Sagra del Cotto, a convivial and cultural event during the patron saint's feast day, which offers the opportunity to taste typical local products in the village's cellars. During Holy Week, there are significant celebrations, from the blessing and procession on Palm Sunday to the Lord's Supper with the washing of feet and distribution of bread on Holy Thursday, to the procession of the Dead Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows on Good Friday, with hooded brothers in silence. Easter is celebrated with the traditional 'Cunfrunta', a symbolic meeting between the Risen Christ and the Madonna, representing joy and spiritual renewal.