, formerly ''Brutium'', is a region in southern
Italy which occupies the "toe" of the Italian peninsula south of
Naples . It is bounded in the north by the region of
Basilicata , region of
Sicily in SW, 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 2.05 million.
The region is divided into five provinces:
Cosenza ,
Crotone ,
Reggio Calabria ,
Vibo Valentia , and
Catanzaro . Catanzaro has been the regional capital since
1970 , although the regional
Parliament is hosted in the former capital,
Reggio Calabria . The switchover to Catanzaro as capital of Calabria was the cause of riots in
1970 .
Calabria was first settled by Italic tribes, Oscan-speaking "cousins" of the Latins, who inhabited the environs of Rome. Two of these tribes included the Eonotri (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 settle 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 (Italic) tribes from the North, including a branch of the
Samnites called the
Lucanians and an offshoot of the Lucanians called the
Bruttii . The Brutti 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 dynasties of both
Spain and
Austria ; the French
Bourbon dynasty, and briefly
Napoleon 's general
Joachim Murat , who was executed in the small town of
Pizzo .
Throughout all this Calabria remained a very rural and exploited region. The
Aspromonte , a mountainous region of southern Calabria, was the scene of a famous battle of the
Risorgimento (unification of Italy), in which
Garibaldi was wounded. Several important philosophers (namely,
Bernardino Telesio from
Cosenza ,
Gioacchino Da Fiore from
San Giovanni In Fiore ,
Tommaso Campanella from
Stilo ) came from Calabria, and famous Americans of Calabrian descent are almost too numerous to name. The seawater around Calabria is very clear, and there is a good level of tourist accommodation. The poet Gabriele
D'Annunzio called the Sicily-facing seafront at Reggio "The most beautiful kilometer in Italy".
The official national language (since 1861) is Italian. However, as a consequence of its deep and colorful history, other historical languages have been spoken in this region for centuries. The various
Dialects are divided into two different language groups. In the northern sections, a dialect of the
Neapolitan Language called "northern Calabrese" is spoken. In the southern part of the region, a dialect of the
Sicilian Language called "southern Calabro" is spoken. In isolated pockets, a hybrid language that dates back to the 9th century, called
Griko , is spoken. A variety of
Franco-Provençal can also be found in certain communities. In several villages, the
Arbëreshë dialect of the
Albanian Language has been spoken since a wave of refugees settled there in the 15th century.
- Aeroporto di Crotone-Sant'Anna (CRV)
- Aeroporto di Lamezia-Sant'Eufemia (SUF)
- Aeroporto dello Stretto (REG)
- Reggio Calabria , on the strait between Italy and Sicily, biggest and oldest city in Calabria, renowned for its fabulous panoramic Seaside with a beautiful beaches, and its 2.700 years of history with the National Museum Of Magna Grecia and the famous Riace Warriors .
- Tropea , on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast, is a beautiful town, with a nice seaside, renowned for its sweet red Onions (mainly produced in Ricadi ).
- Siderno , on the Ionian Sea coast, has good hotels.
- Gerace , near Locri , is a beautiful medieval city with a Norman castle and an ancient cathedral.
- Squillace , a seaside resort and important archeological site
- Stilo , the home of Tommaso Campanella , with a Norman castle and a beautiful Byzantine church, the ''Cattolica''
