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69-416: Italicus uses Calabrian Bergamot oranges , Sicilian citrons , chamomile from Lazio , and herbs from Northern Italy: lavender, yellow roses, lemon balm , and gentian . It is classified as a type of rosolio , a light, sweet, and floral aperitivo traditionally made using the common sundew herb. The recipe for Italicus includes the creator's family tradition of adding citrus to the liqueur. The spirit has

138-708: A brief period in the early 1700s under the Austrian Habsburgs, Calabria came into the control of the Spanish Bourbons in 1735. It was during the 16th century that Calabria would contribute to modern world history with the creation of the Gregorian calendar by the Calabrian doctor and astronomer Luigi Lilio . In 1466, King Louis XI decided to develop a national silk industry in Lyon and called

207-414: A century. The earlier works were mainly dedicated to the evolution of the basement rocks of the area. The Neogene sedimentary successions were merely regarded as "post-orogenic" infill of "neo-tectonic" tensional features. In the course of time, however, a shift can be observed in the temporal significance of these terms, from post- Eocene to post-Early Miocene to post-middle Pleistocene . The region

276-517: A fragrant smell, of citrus, bergamot, herbal bitterness, and the suggestion of sweetness. It tastes similar, of citrus, grass, and flowers, with sweetness and some bitterness. The unaged, nonvintage spirit is 20 percent alcohol by volume . Italicus is produced at Torino Distillati, a family-owned distillery in Moncalieri (near Turin ) established in 1906. It is bottled in an aquamarine -colored bottle made of ribbed glass, and colored to represent

345-784: A history of the Goths, the Variae and account of his administrative career and the Institutiones divinarum et saecularium litterarum, an introduction to the study of the sacred scriptures and the liberal arts which was very influential in the Middle Ages. Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Emperor Justinian I, retook Italy from the Ostrogoths between 535 and 556. They soon lost much of Italy to the Lombards between 568 and 590, but retained

414-472: A large number of Italian workers, mainly from Calabria. The fame of the master weavers of Catanzaro spread throughout France and they were invited to Lyon to teach the techniques of weaving. In 1470, one of these weavers, known in France as Jean Le Calabrais, invented the first prototype of a Jacquard -type loom. He introduced a new kind of machine which was able to work the yarns faster and more precisely. Over

483-531: A large scale. In 1442, the Aragonese took control under Alfonso V of Aragon who became ruler under the Crown of Aragon . In 1501 Calabria came under the control of Ferdinand II of Aragon , whose wife Queen Isabella of Castille is famed for sponsoring the first voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492. Calabria suffered greatly under Aragonese rule with heavy taxes, feuding landlords, starvation and sickness. After

552-694: A peninsula bordered by Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily , and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west. It has almost 2 million residents across a total area of 15,222 km (5,877 sq mi). Catanzaro is the region's capital. Calabria is the birthplace of the name of Italy , given to it by the Ancient Greeks who settled in this land starting from

621-780: Is formed by the Apulia Platform, which is part of the Adriatic Plate, and the Ragusa or Iblean Platform, which is an extension of the African Plate. These platforms are separated by the Ionian Basin . The Tyrrhenian oceanized basin is regarded as the back-arc basin . This subduction system therefore shows the southern plates of African affinity subducting below the northern plates of European affinity. The geology of Calabria has been studied for more than

690-430: Is influenced by the sea and mountains. The Mediterranean climate is typical of the coastal areas with considerable differences in temperature and rainfall between the seasons, with an average low of 8 °C (46 °F) during the winter months and an average high of 30 °C (86 °F) during the summer months. Mountain areas have a typical mountainous climate with frequent snow during winter. The erratic behavior of

759-619: Is mountainous, 49% is hilly, while plains occupy only 9% of the region's territory. It is surrounded by the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas. 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 (2 mi). Three mountain ranges are present: Pollino , La Sila , and Aspromonte , each with its own flora and fauna. The Pollino Mountains in

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828-483: Is seismically active and is generally ascribed to the re-establishment of an equilibrium after the latest (mid-Pleistocene) deformation phase. Some authors believe that the subduction process is still ongoing, which is a matter of debate. Calabria has one of the oldest records of human presence in Italy, which date back to around 700,000 BC when a type of Homo erectus evolved leaving traces around coastal areas. During

897-831: Is the largest in Italy), the Sila National Park and the Aspromonte National Park . Starting in the third century BC, the name Calabria was originally given to the Adriatic coast of the Salento peninsula in modern Apulia . In the late first century BC this name came to extend to the entirety of the Salento, when the Roman emperor Augustus divided Italy into regions. The whole region of Apulia received

966-601: The 8th century BC . They established the first cities, mainly on the coast, as Greek colonies and during this period Calabria became the home of key figures in history such as Pythagoras , Herodotus and Milo . In Roman times, it was part of the Regio III Lucania et Bruttii , a region of Augustan Italy . After the Gothic War , it became and remained for five centuries a Byzantine dominion, fully recovering its Greek character. Cenobitism flourished, with

1035-644: The Amalfi Coast . The bottle's stopper shows a figure made to represent both Bacchus , Greek god of wine, and the Vitruvian Man . Giuseppe Gallo, an Italian bartender, developed the spirit in 2016 after learning about rosolios. His basis for the liqueur was his family's own generations-old recipe. The product was introduced at the Savoy Hotel in London on September 1, 2016. In 2017, the liqueur won

1104-674: The Calabrian one is the largest park in the country covering 1,925.65 square kilometers and among the 50 largest in the world. The common beech is the park's most prevalent tree and the park is also home to a variety of important medicinal herbs . Towns with interesting sights include Rotonda , Castrovillari , Morano Calabro (convent of Colloreto), Laino Borgo , Laino Castello , Mormanno , Scalea , Papasidero , Civita , Cerchiara (church of Madonna delle Armi ). Albanian-speaking communities are present in communes such as San Paolo Albanese , San Costantino Albanese and others. In

1173-671: The Grecanici , speaking Calabrian Greek ; the Arbëreshë people ; and the Occitans of Guardia Piemontese . This extraordinary linguistic diversity makes the region an object of study for linguists from all over the world. Calabria is famous for its crystal clear sea waters and is dotted with ancient villages, castles and archaeological parks. Three national parks are found in the region: the Pollino National Park (which

1242-656: The Paleolithic period Stone Age humans created the " Bos Primigenius ", a figure of a bull on a cliff which dates back around 12,000 years in the Romito Cave in the town of Papasidero . When the Neolithic period came the first villages were founded around 3,500 BC. Around 1500 BC a tribe called the Oenotri ("vine-cultivators"), settled in the region. Ancient sources state they were Greeks who were led to

1311-529: The Peloritano Mountains (although some authors extend this domain from Naples in the north to Palermo in the southwest). The Calabrian area shows basement (crystalline and metamorphic rocks) of Paleozoic and younger ages, covered by (mostly Upper) Neogene sediments. Studies have revealed that these rocks comprise the upper part of a pile of thrust sheets which dominate the Apennines and

1380-686: The Tyrrhenian coast of Lucania), Laüs (on the border with Lucania) and Scidrus (on the Lucanian coast in the Gulf of Taranto ). Locri was renowned for being the town where Zaleucus created the first Western Greek law, the "Locrian Code" and the birthplace of ancient epigrammist and poet Nossis . The Greek cities of Calabria came under pressure from the Lucanians who conquered the north of Calabria and pushed further south, taking over part of

1449-595: The "Giants of the Sila" and can reach up to 40 m (130 ft) in height. The Sila National Park is also known to have the purest air in Europe. 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, at 1,995 m (6,545 ft), and is full of wide, man-made terraces that slope down toward

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1518-421: The "Great Wood of Italy", is a vast mountainous plateau about 1,200 m (3,900 ft) above sea level and stretches for nearly 2,000 km (770 sq mi) along the central part of Calabria. The highest point is Botte Donato , which reaches 1,928 m (6,325 ft). The area boasts numerous lakes and dense coniferous forests. La Sila also has some of the tallest trees in Italy which are called

1587-633: The "best new spirit/cocktail ingredient" category at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. Italicus has been in partnership with Pernod Ricard since 2020. In 2021, Italicus helped finance the reopening of several London bars following the COVID-19 pandemic , alongside a promotion of Italicus and its use in cocktails. Calabria Calabria is a region in Southern Italy . It is

1656-659: The 1060s the Normans , under the leadership of Robert Guiscard 's brother, Roger I of Sicily , established a presence in this borderland , and organized a government modeled on the Eastern Roman Empire and was run by the local magnates of Calabria. Of note is that the Normans established their presence here, in southern Italy (namely Calabria), 6 years prior to their conquest of England, (see The Battle of Hastings ). The purpose of this strategic presence in Calabria

1725-620: The Byzantine Emperor. Therefore, during the sixth century, under the Ostrogoths' rule, Romans could still be at the center of government and cultural life, such as the Roman Cassiodorus who, like Boethius and Symmachus, emerged as one of the most prominent men of his time. He was an administrator, politician, scholar and historian who was born in Scylletium (near Catanzaro). He spent most of his career trying to bridge

1794-628: The Byzantines continued to use the name Calabria for their remaining territory in Bruttium. Originally the Greeks used Italoi to indicate the native population of modern Calabria, which according to some ancient Greek writers was derived from a legendary king of the Oenotri, Italus . Over time the Greeks started to use Italoi for the rest of the southern Italian peninsula as well. After

1863-846: The Lucanians and Bruttii sided with Pyrrhus and provided contingents which fought with his army. After Pyrrhus was eventually defeated, to avoid Roman revenge the Bruttii submitted willingly and gave up half of the Sila, a mountainous plateau valuable for its pitch and timber. Rome subjugated southern Italy by means of treaties with the cities. During the Second Punic War (218–201 BC) the Bruttii allied with Hannibal , who sent Hanno , one of his commanders, to Calabria. Hanno marched toward Capua (in Campania) with Bruttian soldiers to take them to Hannibal's headquarters there twice, but he

1932-598: The Normans previously constructed. After the death of Frederick II in 1250, Calabria was controlled by the Capetian House of Anjou , under the rule of Charles d’Anjou after being granted the crown of the Sicilian Kingdom by Pope Clement IV . In 1282, under Charles d’Anjou, Calabria became a domain of the newly created Kingdom of Naples , and no longer of the Kingdom of Sicily, after he lost Sicily due to

2001-788: The Pythian Games, nine events in the Nemean Games and ten events in the Isthmian Games and also Astylos of Croton , who won six running events in three Olympics in a row. Through Alcmaeon of Croton (a philosopher and medical theorist) and Pythagoras (a mathematician and philosopher), who moved to Kroton in 530 BC, the city became a renowned center of philosophy, science and medicine. The Greeks of Sybaris created "Intellectual Property." The Sybarites founded at least 20 other colonies, including Poseidonia ( Paestum in Latin, on

2070-583: The Roman conquest of the region, the name was used for the entire Italian peninsula and eventually the Alpine region too. The region is generally known as the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula , and is a long and narrow peninsula which stretches from north to south for 248 km (154 mi), with a maximum width of 110 km (68 mi). Some 42% of Calabria's area, corresponding to 15,080 km ,

2139-607: The Romans and Calabria was put under a military commander. Nearly a decade after the war, the Romans set up colonies in Calabria: at Tempsa and Kroton (Croto in Latin) in 194 BC, Copiae in the territory of Thurii (Thurium in Latin) in 193 BC, and Vibo Valentia in the territory of Hipponion in 192 BC. Starting in the third century BC, the name Calabria was given to the Adriatic coast of the Salento peninsula in modern Apulia . In

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2208-712: The Sicilian Maghrebides . The Neogene evolution of the Central Mediterranean system is dominated by the migration of the Calabrian Arc to the southeast, overriding the African Plate and its promontories. ) The main tectonic elements of the Calabrian Arc are the southern Apennines fold-and-thrust belt, the "Calabria-Peloritani", or simply Calabrian block and the Sicilian Maghrebides fold-and-thrust belt. The foreland area

2277-727: The Sun " and would later defend Galileo Galilei during his first trial with his work "A Defense of Galileo", which was written in 1616 and published in 1622. In 1613 philosopher and economist Antonio Serra wrote "A Short Treatise on the Wealth and Poverty of Nations" and was a pioneer in the Mercantilist tradition. During the 17th century, silk production in Calabria begin to suffer by the strong competition of new-raising competitors in Italian Peninsula and Europe (France), but also

2346-486: The Tyrrhenian Sea can bring heavy rainfall on the western slopes of the region, while hot air from Africa makes the east coast of Calabria dry and warm. The mountains that run along the region also influence the climate and temperature of the region. The east coast is much warmer and has wider temperature ranges than the west coast. The geography of the region causes more rain to fall along the west coast than that of

2415-621: The Valle del Mercure have been discovered remains of pre-historic species such as Elephas antiquus and Hippopotamus major . Rivers and streams include the Lao , Sinni , Coscile , Garga , and Raganello. Wildlife include golden eagle , Italian wolf , roe deer , wild boar , red fox , European otter , Calabrian black squirrel , forest dormouse (Dryomys nitedula) , black woodpecker , chough , peregrine falcon , red kite , lanner falcon , Egyptian vulture and red deer (were introduced in

2484-430: The beginning of the tenth century ( c.  903 ), the city of Catanzaro was occupied by the Muslim Saracens , who founded an emirate and took the Arab name of قطنصار – Qaṭanṣār. An Arab presence is evidenced by findings at an eighth-century necropolis which had items with Arabic inscriptions. Around the year 1050, Catanzaro rebelled against Saracen dominance and returned to a brief period of Byzantine control. In

2553-402: The coast of Calabria with his fleet, took Hipponium and forced the Bruttii into unfavourable peace terms. However, they soon seized Hipponium again. After Agathloces' death in 289 BC the Lucanians and Bruttii pushed into the territory of Thurii and ravaged it. The city sent envoys to Rome to ask for help in 285 BC and 282 BC. On the second occasion, the Romans sent forces to garrison the city. This

2622-479: The cultivation of mulberry was difficult in Northern and Continental Europe, merchants and operators used to purchase in Calabria raw materials to finish the products and resell them for a better price. The Genoese silk artisans used fine Calabrian silk for the production of velvets. In particular, the silk of Catanzaro supplied almost all of Europe and was sold in a large market fair to Spanish, Venetian , Genoese , Florentine and Dutch merchants. Catanzaro became

2691-411: The divides of East and West, Greek and Latin cultures, Romans and Goths, and official Christianity and Arian Christianity , which was the form of Christianity of the Ostrogoths and which had earlier been banned. He set up his Vivarium (monastery) in Scylletium. He oversaw the collation of three editions of the Bible in Latin. Seeing the practicality of uniting all the books of the Bible in one volume, he

2760-470: The duchy of Calabria. Around the year 800, Saracens began invading the shores of Calabria, attempting to wrest control of the area from the Byzantines. This group of Arabs had already been successful in Sicily and knew that Calabria was another key spot. The people of Calabria retreated into the mountains for safety. Although the Arabs never really got a stronghold on the whole of Calabria, they did control some villages while enhancing trade relations with

2829-437: The east coast, which occurs mainly during winter and autumn and less during the summer months. Below are the two extremes of climate in Calabria, the warm mediterranean subtype on the coastline and the highland climate of Monte Scuro. Calabria is commonly considered part of the "Calabrian Arc", an arc-shaped geographic domain extending from the southern part of the Basilicata Region to the northeast of Sicily , and including

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2898-417: The eastern world. In 918, Saracens captured Reggio (which was renamed Rivà ), holding many of its inhabitants to ransom or keeping them prisoners as slaves. It is during this time of Arab invasions that many staples of today's Calabrian cuisine came into fashion: Citrus fruits and eggplants for example. Exotic spices such as cloves and nutmeg were also introduced. Under the Byzantine dominion, between

2967-438: The end of the 9th and the beginning of the 10th century, Calabria was one of the first regions of Italy to introduce silk production to Europe. According to André Guillou, mulberry trees for the production of raw silk were introduced to southern Italy by the Byzantines at the end of the ninth century. Around 1050 the theme of Calabria had 24,000, mulberry trees cultivated for their foliage, and their number tended to expand. At

3036-440: The first King of Sicily and formed what would become the Kingdom of Sicily , which lasted nearly 700 years. Under the Normans southern Italy was united as one region and started a feudal system of land ownership in which the Normans were made lords of the land while peasants performed all the work on the land. In 1147, Roger II of Sicily attacked Corinth and Thebes , two important centers of Byzantine silk production, capturing

3105-425: The homonymous mountain massif Pollino . The park is home of the oldest European tree, a Heldreich's pine estimated 1,230 years old and the symbol of the park is the rare Bosnian pine tree. Since November 2015, with the inclusion in the global list of geoparks by UNESCO , the Pollino Park is considered a World Heritage Site . Encompassing a total of 88,650 ha in the Lucanian side ( Muro lucano ) and 103,915 in

3174-451: The increasing import from Ottoman Empire and Persia. Foundation of the historical Italo-Albanian College and Library in 1732 by Pope Clement XII transferred from San Benedetto Ullano to San Demetrio Corone in 1794. Pollino National Park Pollino National Park ( Italian : Parco Nazionale del Pollino ) is an Italian national park in the southern peninsula , in the provinces of Cosenza , Matera and Potenza . Its named from

3243-452: The interior, probably after they defeated the Thurians near Laus in 390 BC. A few decades later the Bruttii took advantage of the weakening of the Greek cites caused by wars between them and took over Hipponium, Terina and Thurii. The Bruttii helped the Lucanians fight Alexander of Epirus (334–32 BC), who had come to the aid of Tarentum (in Apulia ), which was also pressured by the Lucanians. After this, Agathocles of Syracuse ravaged

3312-408: The lace capital of Europe with a large silkworm breeding facility that produced all the laces and linens used in the Vatican . The city was known for its fabrication of silks, velvets, damasks and brocades. In the 15th century, Catanzaro was exporting both its silk cloth and its technical skills to neighbouring Sicily . By the middle of the century, silk spinning was taking place in Catanzaro, on

3381-437: The late first century BC this name came to extend to the entirety of the Salento, when the Roman emperor Augustus divided Italy into regions and modern Calabria was known as Regio III Lucania et Bruttii. After sacking Rome in 410, Alaric I (King of the Visigoths) went to Calabria with the intention of sailing to Africa. He contracted malaria and died in Cosentia ( Cosenza ), probably of fever. Legend has it that he along with

3450-419: The most senior administrative officials) in 523. He was praetorian prefect (chief minister) under the successors of Theodoric: under Athalaric (Theodoric's grandson, reigned 526–34) in 533 and, between 535 and 537, under Theodahad (Theodoric's nephew, reigned 534–36) and Witiges (Theodoric's grandson-in-law, reigned, 536–40). The major works of Cassiodorus, besides the mentioned bibles, were the Historia Gothorum,

3519-403: The name Regio II Apulia et Calabria . By this time modern Calabria was still known as Bruttium , after the Bruttians who inhabited the region. Later in the seventh century AD, the Byzantine Empire created the Duchy of Calabria from the Salento and the Ionian part of Bruttium. Even though the Calabrian part of the duchy was conquered by the Lombards during the eighth and ninth centuries AD,

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3588-442: 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 , which is the largest national park in Italy, covering 1,925.65 square kilometres. La Sila , which has been referred to as

3657-409: The rebellion of the Sicilian Vespers . During the 14th century, would emerge Barlaam of Seminara who would be Petrarch 's Greek teacher and his disciple Leonzio Pilato , who would translate Homer's works for Giovanni Boccaccio . While the cultivation of mulberry was moving first steps in northern Italy , silk made in Calabria reached the peak of 50% of the whole Italian/European production. As

3726-859: The region by their king, Oenotrus . However it is believed they were an ancient Italic people who spoke an Italic language. During the eighth and seventh centuries BC, Greek settlers founded many colonies (settlements) on the coast of southern Italy. In Calabria they founded Chone ( Pallagorio ), Cosentia ( Cosenza ), Clampetia ( Amantea ), Scyllaeum ( Scilla ), Sybaris ( Sibari ), Hipponion ( Vibo Valentia ), Locri Epizephyrii ( Locri ), Kaulon ( Monasterace ), Krimisa ( Cirò Marina ), Kroton ( Crotone ), Laüs ( comune of Santa Maria del Cedro ), Medma ( Rosarno ), Metauros ( Gioia Tauro ), Petelia ( Strongoli ), Rhégion ( Reggio Calabria ), Scylletium ( Borgia ), Temesa ( Campora San Giovanni ), Terina ( Nocera Terinese ), Pandosia ( Acri ) and Thurii , (Thurio, comune of Corigliano Calabro ). Rhegion

3795-458: The region. The 10th-century church in Rossano, together with the "twin" church of Sant'Adriano in San Demetrio Corone (foundation 955, rebuilt by the Normans on the, still, visible foundations of the previous Byzantine church), are considered between the best preserved Byzantine churches in Italy. They were both built by St. Nilus the Younger as a retreat for the monks who lived in the tufa grottos underneath. The present name of Calabria comes from

3864-405: The rise throughout the peninsula of numerous churches, hermitages and monasteries in which Basilian monks were dedicated to transcription. The Byzantines introduced the art of silk in Calabria and made it the main silk production area in Europe . In the 11th century, the Norman conquest started a slow process of Latinization. In Calabria there are three historical ethnolinguistics minorities:

3933-445: The sea. 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 orchards of citrus fruit, including the Diamante citron . Further up, olives and chestnut trees appear while in the higher regions there are often dense forests of oak, pine, beech and fir trees. Calabria's climate

4002-491: The simultaneous growth of prices, and became one of the most important Mediterranean markets for silk. In 1563 philosopher and natural scientist Bernardino Telesio wrote "On the Nature of Things according to their Own Principles" and pioneered early modern empiricism. He would also influence the works of Francis Bacon, René Descartes, Giordano Bruno, Tommaso Campanella and Thomas Hobbes. In 1602 philosopher and poet Tommaso Campanella wrote his most famous work, " The City of

4071-437: The south for around 500 years until 1059–1071, where they thrived and where the Greek language was the official and vernacular language. In Calabria and towns such as Stilo and Rossano and San Demetrio Corone achieved great religious status. From the 7th Century many monasteries were built in the Amendolea and Stilaro Valleys and Stilo was the destination of hermits and Basilian monks. Many Byzantine churches are still seen in

4140-407: The town had about 16,000 inhabitants, its silk industry kept 1,000 looms, and at least 5,000 people, busy. The silk textiles of Catanzaro were not only sold at the kingdom 's markets, they were also exported to Venice, France, Spain and England. In the 16th century, Calabria was characterized by a strong demographic and economic development, mainly due to the increasing demand of silk products and

4209-447: The treasure of Rome were buried under the bed of the River Busento. With the fall of the western part of the Roman Empire in 476, Italy was taken over by the Germanic chieftain Odoacer and later became part of the Ostrogothic Kingdom in 489. The Ostrogothic kings ruled officially as Magistri Militum of the Byzantine Emperors and all government and administrative positions were held by the Romans, while all primary laws were legislated by

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4278-401: The weavers and their equipment and establishing his own silkworks in Calabria, thereby causing the Norman silk industry to flourish. In 1194, Frederick II , took control of the region, after inheriting the Kingdom from his mother Constance, Queen of Sicily . He created a kingdom that blended cultures, philosophy and customs and would build several castles, while fortifying existing ones which

4347-441: The years, improvements to the loom were ongoing. Charles V of Spain formally recognized the growth of the silk industry of Catanzaro in 1519 by allowing the city to establish a consulate of the silk craft, charged with regulating and check in the various stages of a production that flourished throughout the sixteenth century. At the moment of the creation of its guild, the city declared that it had over 500 looms . By 1660, when

4416-451: Was born in San Marco Argentano , would be one of the leaders in the first crusade. Of particular note is the Via Francigena , an ancient pilgrim route that goes from Canterbury to Rome and southern Italy, reaching Calabria, Basilicata and Apulia, where the crusaders lived, prayed and trained, respectively. In 1098, Roger I of Sicily was named the equivalent of an apostolic legate by Pope Urban II . His son Roger II of Sicily later became

4485-400: Was defeated on both occasions. When his campaign in Italy came to a dead end, Hannibal took refuge in Calabria, whose steep mountains provided protection against the Roman legions. He set up his headquarters in Kroton and stayed there for four years until he was recalled to Carthage. The Romans fought a battle with him near Kroton, but its details are unknown. Many Calabrian cities surrendered to

4554-420: Was part of the episode which sparked the Pyrrhic war. At the beginning of the 3rd century BC the cities of southern Italy, which had been allies of the Samnites, were still independent but inevitably came into conflict as a result of Rome's continuous expansion as their expansion in central and northern Italy had not been sufficient to provide new arable lands they needed. During the Pyrrhic War (280–275 BC)

4623-400: Was the birthplace of one of the famed nine lyric poets , Ibycus and Metauros was the birthplace of another, Stesichorus , who was amongst the first lyric poets of the western world. Kroton spawned many victors during the ancient Olympics and other Panhellenic Games. Amongst the most famous were Milo of Croton , who won six wrestling events in six Olympics in a row, along with seven events in

4692-457: Was the first who produced Latin Bibles in single volumes. The most well-known of them was the Codex Grandior which was the ancestor of all modern western Bibles. Cassiodorus was at the heart of the administration of the Ostrogothic kingdom. Theodoric made him quaestor sacri palatii (quaestor of the sacred palace, the senior legal authority) in 507, governor of Lucania and Bruttium, consul in 514 and magister officiorum (master of offices, one of

4761-441: Was to lay the foundations for the Crusades 30 years later, and for the creation of two Kingdoms: the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the Kingdom of Sicily. Ships would sail from Calabria to the Holy Land. This made Calabria one of the richest regions in Europe as princes from the noble families of England, France and other regions, constructed secondary residences and palaces here, on their way to the Holy Land. Guiscard's son Bohemond , who

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