Saint John Theristis (harvester) was born in Palermo, when the Sicily had been conquered by Arabs.
At the age of 14 he moved to Stilo to receive the orthodox baptism. He made many miracles, among which harvesting wheat for the poor.
The monastery had started to be built in 1100 and quickly became the most important in the dioceses of Squillace, already renown because of the Vivarium of Cassiodorus.
The basilian monks (greek-catholics) definitely abandoned it in 1662.
Now it has been given to the ortodox dioceses of Italy, and it is usually visited by the monks of mount Athos.
