Lamezia Terme

Lamezia Terme, commonly named Lamezia, is an Italian city of 75,261 inhabitants in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region. Geography Lamezia is located on the eastern border of the coastal plain commonly called Piana di Sant'Eufemia, which was created by drying a wide marshy area. The municipality borders with Conflenti, Curinga, Falerna, Feroleto Antico, Gizzeria, Maida, Martirano Lombardo, Nocera Terinese, Platania, San Pietro a Maida and Serrastretta. History The municipality of Lamezia Terme was formally created on 4 January 1968. Its territory includes those of the former municipalities of Nicastro, Sambiase, Sant'Eufemia Lamezia. Nicastro Nicastro's origins trace back to the 9th century, when Calabria was part of the Byzantine Empire, when a fortress called Neo Castrum ("New Castle") was created. A great Benedictine abbey, St. Eufemia, was founded here in 1062 by the Norman count Robert Guiscard. It was for a long time a fief of the Caracciolo family and, later, to the D'Aquino. The city was nearly destroyed after an earthquake in 1638 (more than 100 inhabitants died), and the abbey was turned into ruin. The castle, built by the Normans and enlarged by Emperor Frederick II and the Angevine kings, crumbled down. Floods and a further earthquake followed in the 18th century. Nicastro experienced the highest rate of emigration during the late 19th and the early 20th century (some 8,000 citizens), as well as after World War II. Sambiase The baths of Sambiase were in a famous Roman itinerary Tabula Peutingeriana, making the village an important destination at the time. An evidence of this can be found in a library edition of the map which is kept at the Lamezia Terme Town Library in Lamezia Terme in its historical and specialistic section, the Casa del Libro Antico (House of the Ancient Book). The thermal baths of Sambase were great and famous place of comfort and rest for wayfarers, soldiers, messengers, in the ancient times they were called Aque Ange. The Romans knew Sambiase with the name of Turres, there in fact to check the territory they were situated two towers. But Sambiase was already existing during the Greek period first with the name of Melea (here they are placed in fact its ancient boundaries) and then Terina (of which numerous coins have been found again in the fraction Acquafredda and also the tesoretto of Sant'Eufemia preserved in the British Museum). With the fall of the empire, Turres was abandoned and devastated by the Ostrogothic ones Sambiase resources in the 7th century thanks the Basilianis, that escape from Sicily, they installed him in the Calabrian territory. The Basilianis monks made to rise numerous Byzantine monasteries, among which that of St. Blase, from which the city's name derived. The basilianis taught the farmers to read and write and they were made important friends among the great Byzantine cities of Italy, Greece and Turkey as Taranto, Naples and Gaeta, thanks to their action the new city, St. Blase, succeeded in exporting its own products, olives, grapes, corn, wheat, laughed, to the whole empire. They formed numerous monasteries and churches of orthodox order as those of the Sts. Forty Martyrs, Saint Sophia, St. Costantin etc. important centres of culture comparable to the great European courts. In the 10th century it had numerous churches, of which today only five remain. Robert Guiscard with his brother Roger during the difficult attempt to conquer Calabria, stopped to the thermal baths together with their team of soldiers. From that period Sambiase became an important and famous Norman university among the preferred places of the Norman sovereigns as the Guiscard, Roger,Federick II and Manfredi, they also strengthened the power of some abbeys of Sambiase as St. Costantine. With the Aragonese kingdom Sambiase strengthened its own influence on the central government of Naples, many citizens of the ancient university in fact they invested important court positions as mathematicians, astronomers and chamberlains. Sambiase was a most important place for the Spanish and Italian economy. Main point was the strictness and the share of Sambiase to the Italian wars of independence. Giovanni Nicotera was an important personality of Sambiase as Freancesco Fiorentino, Franco Costabile etc. Sant'Eufemia Lamezia The current Sant'Eufemia Lamezia does not correspond to the ancient city location. The most ancient settlement was the Greek Terina, whose ruins are nowadays being excavated. Sant'Eufemia Lamezia (nowadays Sant'Eufemia Vetere) was created, upon a hill not long after the 1638 earthquake. The current quarter was built in the Fascist era after the drying of a marshy area. Main sights The Castle is today an ensemble of ruins occupying the summit of a hill 320 metres (1,050 ft) high. It was built, according to some scholars, by the Bruttii or by Greeks colonists. The current structure dates probably from the Norman domination, although some structure existed at the time of the Ostrogoth king Teia. In 1122 Pope Callixtus II resided here for 15 days. Later, the castle was enlarged by Constance of Hauteville and his son Frederick II, as well as by the Angevines. The castle was heavily damaged by the earthquakes of 1609, 1638 and 1783, and subsequently abandoned. The Bastion of the Knights of Malta is a massive, well-preserved watchtower built in 1550 by the Spanish viceroy of Naples Pedro de Toledo. It was assigned to the Knights, who had a fief in the neighbourhood. Ruins of several other watchtowers are in the area. Near 'Sant'Eufemia, the ruins of the Cistercian abbey of Santa Maria di Corazzo can be seen. It was founded around 1060. Joachim of Fiore was an abbot here, and Bernardino Telesio wrote many of his philosophical works here in 1554. The abbey of the 40 Martyrs (Lamezia Terme - Sambiase), created in the 9th-10th century, is still active. The Diocesan Museum houses an Arab-Norman ivory case (12th century), paintings of 17th-18th centuries and other works. Eco-museum of Lamezia Terme in Sambiase. There are numerous churches of Sambiase di Lamezia Terme. The most important is Saint Pancrazio's church where there are some of Mattia Preti's pictures, fantastic statues and frescoes. It was a symbol of the new Sambiase in eitheenth century. Transportation The central location of Lamezia Terme in Calabria has made it the main transportation hub of the region. The city is situated adjacent to the infamous A3 Salerno-Reggio Calabria Motorway, and the SS.288 State Route runs to Catanzaro from Lamezia. The central railway station, on the main line leading from Reggio to Naples, is a major terminal for goods traffic. Secondary branches connect to Catanzaro and Crotone. Lamezia is the site of the Lamezia Terme International Airport, built in 1976. The airport has both national and international connections. Notes See also List of cities in Italy by population Vigor Lamezia Calabrian wine External links (Italian) Lamezia Terme official website (Italian) Historic portal of Lamezia Terme