Calabria (IPA: /kaˈlabrja/; in Calabrian dialect: Calabbria or Calavria, ), in
antiquity known as
Bruttium, is a
region in
southern Italy, south of
Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian peninsula. It is bounded to the north by the region of
Basilicata, to the south-west by the region of
Sicily, to the west by the
Tyrrhenian Sea, and to the east by the
Ionian Sea. The region covers 15,080 km² and has a population of 2 million. The regional capital is the city of
Catanzaro. The other two main cities are
Reggio Calabria and
Cosenza. The
demonym of Calabria is Calabrian (Italian:
calabrese).
Geography
250px|thumb|left|Cliff at Tropea.
thumb|left|250px|View of [[Scilla, Italy|Scilla]]
Calabria is at the very south of the Italian peninsula, to which it is connected by the
Monte Pollino massif, while on the east, south and west it is surrounded by the
Ionian and
Tyrrhenian seas. The region is a long and narrow peninsula which stretches from north to south for 248 km, with a maximum width of 110 km. Some 42% of Calabria's area, corresponding to 15,081 km2, is mountainous, 49% is hilly, while plains occupy only 9% of the region's territory. It is separated from
Sicily by the
Strait of Messina, where the narrowest point between
Capo Peloro in
Sicily and
Punta Pezzo in Calabria is only 3.2 km.
Although the beautiful green sea is ever present in Calabria, it is mainly a mountainous region. Three mountain ranges are present: Pollino, La Sila and Aspromonte. All three mountain ranges are unique with their own flora and fauna. The
Pollino Mountains in the north of the region are rugged and form a natural barrier separating Calabria from the rest of Italy. Parts of the area are heavily wooded, while others are vast, wind-swept plateaus with little vegetation. These mountains are home to a rare
Bosnian Pine variety, and are included in the
Pollino National Park.
La Sila is a vast mountainous plateau, about 1,200 metres above sea level, which stretches for nearly 2,000 square kilometres along the central part of Calabria. The highest point is
Botte Donato, which reaches 1,928 metres. The area boasts numerous lakes and dense coniferous forests. The
Aspromonte massif forms the southernmost tip of the Italian peninsula bordered by the sea on three sides. This unique mountainous structure reaches its highest point at
Montalto Uffugo, at 1,995 metres, and is full of wide, man-made terraces that slope down towards the sea.
In general, most of the lower terrain in Calabria has been agricultural for centuries, and exhibits indigenous scrubland as well as introduced plants such as the
prickly pear cactus. The lowest slopes are rich in vineyards and citrus fruit orchards. The
Diamante citron is one of the citrus fruits. Moving upwards, olives and chestnut trees appear while in the higher regions there are often dense forests of oak, pine, beech and fir trees.
The climate is influenced by the mountainous and hilly relief of the region: cold in the area of Monte Pollino, temperate with a very limited temperature range in the area of Aspromonte, while the Sila and Serre massifs ensure greater humidity on the Tyrrhenian coast and a drier climate on the Ionian coast.
History
thumb|left|The Riace bronzes, Greek bronzes, about 460-430 BC.
Calabria was first settled by Italic
Oscan-speaking tribes. Two of these tribes included the
Oenotri (roughly translated into the "vine-cultivators") and the Itali. Greek contact with the latter resulted in the entire peninsula (modern Italy) taking the name of the tribe.
Greeks settled heavily along the coast at an early date and several of their settlements, including the first Italian city called
Rhegion (
Reggio Calabria), and the next ones
Sybaris,
Kroton (
Crotone), and
Locri, were numbered among the leading cities of
Magna Graecia during the
6th and
5th centuries BC. Conquered by the
Romans in the
3rd century BC, the region never regained its former prosperity.
The Greeks were conquered by the 3rd century BC by roving Oscan tribes from the north, including a branch of the
Samnites called the
Lucanians and an offshoot of the Lucanians called the
Bruttii. The Bruttii established the main cities of Calabria, including the modern capital,
Cosenza (then called Consentia).
After the fall of the
Roman Empire, the inhabitants were in large part driven inland by the spread of
Malaria. and, from the early Middle Ages until the XVII century, by pirate raids. Calabria was devastated during the
Gothic War before it came under the rule of a local
dux for the
Byzantine Empire. In the 9th and 10th centuries, Calabria, which had been the rich breadbasket of Rome before Egypt was conquered, was the borderland between Byzantine rule and the Arab
emirs in Sicily, subject to
raids and skirmishes, depopulated and demoralized, with vibrant Greek monasteries providing fortresses of culture.
In the 1060s the
Normans, under the leadership of
Robert Guiscard's brother Roger, established a presence in this
borderland, and organized a government along Byzantine lines that was run by the local Greek magnates of Calabria. In 1098, Pope
Urban II named Roger the equivalence of an apostolic legate later formed what became the
Kingdom of Sicily. The administrative divisions created in the late medieval times were maintained right through to unification:
Calabria Citeriore (or Latin Calabria) in the northern half and
Calabria Ulteriore (or Greek Calabria) in the southern half.
Beginning with the subsequent
Angevin rule, which ruled Calabria as part of the
Kingdom of Naples, Calabria was ruled from
Naples right up until
unification with Italy. The kingdom came under many rulers: the
Habsburg dynasties of both
Spain and
Austria; the Franco-Spanish
Bourbon dynasty which created the
Kingdom of Two Sicilies,
Napoleon's brother
Joseph Bonaparte, and then French Marshal
Joachim Murat, who was executed in the small town of
Pizzo. Calabria experienced a series of peasant revolts as part of the European
Revolutions of 1848. This set the stage for the eventual unification with the rest of Italy in
1861, when the
Kingdom of Naples was brought into the union by
Giuseppe Garibaldi. The
Aspromonte was the scene of a famous battle of the unification of Italy, in which Garibaldi was wounded.
The
'Ndrangheta organized crime families of Calabria began to appear in 1850.
Until the mid 20th C.,
Southern Italy was among the poorest regions of
Europe and impoverished Calabria was a main source for the
Italian diaspora of the early 1900s. Many Calabrians moved to the industrial centres of
northern Italy, the rest of Europe,
Australia and the
Americas (especially
Argentina,
Brazil,
Canada, and the
United States). Since the 1970s there has been an increased affluence and a much improved economy based on modern agriculture, tourism, and a growing commercial base. Even though the per capita income is still well below that of
northern and
central Italy, it has improved to the point where it is approaching the
European Union median.
Economy
200px|thumb|right|The seaport of Gioia Tauro.
A typical feature of agriculture in Calabria is the high fragmentation of the farm structure. Holdings of less than two hectares made up 69% of the total in 2000. The main cultivation in Calabria is olive tree, representing 29.6% of UAA and 70% of tree crops. In fact the majority of farms (137 938 units on a total of 194 600) produce olives
[http://circa.europa.eu/irc/dsis/regportraits/info/data/en/itf6_eco.htm].
Within the industrial sector, manufacturing contributes to gross value added by 7.2%. In the manufacturing sector the main branches are foodstuff, beverage and tobacco with a contribution to the sector very close to the national average.
The main Calabrian ports are in
Reggio Calabria and in
Gioia Tauro. The
Reggio di Calabria port is equipped with five loading docks of a length of 1,530 metres. The
Gioia Tauro port has seven loading docks with an extension of 4,646 metres; it is the largest in Italy and the seventh largest
container port in Europe, with a 2007 throughput of 's from more than 3,000 ships.
The region is served by three heavily used roads: two national highways along the coasts and the A3 motorway, which links Salerno and Reggio di Calabria along the old inland route. In Calabria there are two main airports: one is situated in
Lamezia Terme and the other in Reggio di Calabria, both very close to the cities.
Demographics
The population density in Calabria in 2008 was of 133.2 inhabitants per km2, lower than the national average of 198.8. The population density in the provinces ranges from 101 inhabitants per km2 in the province of
Crotone to 178 inhabitants per km2 in the province of
Reggio di Calabria.
Government and politics
Administrative divisions
Calabria is divided into five provinces:
300px|Provinces of Calabria. Culture
Main sights
200px|thumb|right|The Byzantine church known as the [[Cattolica di Stilo|Cattolica.]]
Tourism in Calabria has increased over the years. The main tourist attractions are the coastline and the mountains. The coastline alternates between rugged cliffs and sandy beaches, and is sparsely interrupted by development when compared to other European seaside destinations. The sea around Calabria is clear, and there is a good level of tourist accommodation. The poet
Gabriele D'Annunzio called the coast facing Sicily near Reggio Calabria "... the most beautiful kilometer in Italy" (
il più bel chilometro d'Italia). The primary mountain tourist draws are
Aspromonte and
La Sila, with its national park and lakes. Some other prominent destinations include:
- Reggio Calabria, on the strait between the mainland and Sicily, the largest and oldest city in Calabria, renowned for its fabulous panoramic seaside with botanical gardens between the art nouveau buildings and the beautiful beaches, and its 3,000 years of history with the old Aragonian Castle and the great National Museum of Magna Grecia where the famous Riace bronzes (Bronzi di Riace) are located.
- Scilla, on the Tyrrhenian Sea, "pearl" of the "Violet Coast", has a delightful panorama, important religious traditions, and is the site of some of Homer's tales.
- Tropea (), on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast, is a beautiful town, with a dramatic seaside beach, and the Santa Maria dell'Isola sanctuary. It is also renowned for its sweet red onions (mainly produced in Ricadi).
- Gerace, near Locri, is a beautiful medieval city with a Norman castle and an ancient cathedral.
- Squillace, a seaside resort and important archeological site
- Pizzo, on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast, known for its ice cream called "Tartufo". Interesting places in Pizzo are Piazza Repubblica and the Aragonian castle where Murat was murdered.
- Paola, a town situated on the Tyrrhenian sea coast renowned to be the place of birth of St. Francesco from Paola, saint patron of Calabria and Italian sailors, and for the old Franciscan "minimi" Catholic sanctuary built during the last hundred years of the Middle Ages by the will of St. Francesco from Paola and nowadays used by monks and to celebrate the mass.
- Sybaris, on the Ionian sea, is a village situated near the excavation of ancient Sybaris, a Greek colony of the VII century B.C.
- Catanzaro, located at the centre of the narrowest point of Italy, from where the Ionian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea are both visible, but not from Catanzaro. Of note are the well-known one-arch bridge (Viaduct Morandi-Bisantis, one of the tallest in Europe), the Cathedral (rebuilt after WWII bombing), the castle, the promenade on the Ionian sea, the park of biodiversity and the archaeological park.
- Soverato on the Ionian Sea, also known as the "Pearl" of the Ionian Sea. Especially renowned for its beaches, boardwalk and nightlife.
- Ancient temples of the Roman gods on the sun-kissed hills of Catanzaro still stand as others are swept beneath the earth. Many excavations are going on along the east coast, digging up what seems to be an ancient burial ground.
- Samo, a village on the foot of the Aspromonte, is well-known for its spring water and ruins of the old village destroyed in the Messina earthquake of 1908.
Language
Although the official national language of Calabria has been Standard
Italian since before unification in 1861, as a consequence of its deep and colourful history, Calabrian dialects have developed that have been spoken in the region for centuries. Most linguists divide the various
dialects into two different language groups. In the northern one-third of the region, the Calabrian dialects are considered part of the
Neapolitan language (or
Southern Italian) and are grouped as Northern Calabrian or
Cosentino. In the southern two-thirds of the region, the Calabrian dialects are considered part of the
Sicilian language and are often grouped as Central and Southern Calabrian.
Other historical languages have left an imprint on the region. In isolated pockets, as well as some quarters of Reggio Calabria (historical stronghold of the Greek language in Italy), a hybrid language that dates back to the 9th century, called
Griko, is spoken. A variety of
Occitan can also be found in certain communities and
French has had an influence on many Calabrian words and phrases. In several villages, the
Arbëresh dialect of the
Albanian language has been spoken since a wave of refugees settled there in the 15th century. In addition, since Calabria (as well as other parts of
southern Italy and
Sicily) were once ruled by the Spanish, some Calabrian dialects exhibit
Spanish derivatives.
It is important to highlight the presence of Calabrians in
Humanism and in the
Renaissance. Indeed the Hellenistics in this period frequently came from Calabria maybe because of the Greek influence. The rediscovery of Ancient Greek was very difficult because this language had been almost forgotten. In this period the presence of Calabrian humanists or refugees from Constantinople was fundamental. The study of Ancient Greek, in this period, was mainly a work of two monks of the monastery of
Seminara:
Barlaam,
bishop of Gerace, and his disciple,
Leonzio Pilato.
Leonzio Pilato, in particular, was a Calabrian born near
Reggio Calabria. He was an important teacher of Ancient Greek and translator, and he helped
Giovanni Boccaccio in the translations of
Homer's works.
Religion
The majority of Calabrians are
Roman Catholic. In the southern areas, there are some
Byzantine Orthodox congregations in the Albanian communities. There is a small community of Italian
Anusim who have resumed the
Jewish faith of their ancestors. There are also communities of
Evangelists on the western coast. The most famous saint in Calabria and also the patron saint of the region is St. Francesco from Paola.
Cuisine
Essentially a typical southern Italian
Mediterranean cuisine with a balance between meat-based dishes (pork, lamb, goat), vegetables (especially
eggplant), and fish. Pasta (like in Central and the rest of Southern Italy) is also very important in Calabria. In contrast to most other Italian regions, Calabrians have traditionally placed an emphasis on the preservation of their food, in part because of the climate and potential crop failures. As a result, there is a tradition of packing vegetables and meats in
olive oil, making sausages and cold cuts (
Sopressata, '
Nduja), and, along the coast, curing fish- especially
swordfish, sardines (
sardelle rosamarina) and cod (
Baccalà). Local desserts are typically fried, honey-sweetened pastries (
Cudduraci,
scalille or
scalidde) or baked
biscotti-type treats (such as
'nzudda).
Some local specialties include
Caciocavallo Cheese,
Cipolla rossa di Tropea (red onion),
Frìttuli or
Curcùci (fried pork),
Liquorice (
liquirizia),
Lagane e Cicciari (ceci) (a pasta dish with
chickpeas),
Pecorino Crotonese (Cheese of Sheep), and
Pignolata.
Although Calabrian wines are not well known outside Italy, in ancient times Calabria was referred to as
Enotria (from
Ancient Greek Οἰνωτρία -
Oenotria, "land of wine"). According to
ancient Greek tradition,
Οἴνωτρος (
Oenotrus), the youngest of the sons of
Lycaon, was the
eponymous of Oenotria. Some vineyards have origins dating back to the ancient Greek colonists. The best known
DOC wines are
Cirò (
Province of Crotone) and
Donnici (
Province of Cosenza). 3% of the total annual production qualifies as DOC. Important grape varieties are the red
Gaglioppo, and white
Greco. Many producers are resurrecting local, ancient grape varieties which have been around for as long as 3000 years.
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Calabria is
twinned with:
See also
 - la chjanalèa e il castello.jpg/){kind=link}
