Belcastro

Belcastro (Latin: Bellicastrum; Calabrian: Bercashru) is a comune in the province of Catanzaro, in the Calabria region of southern Italy.

For the surname, see Belcastro (surname).
Belcastro
Comune
Comune di Belcastro
Location of Belcastro
Belcastro
Location of Belcastro in Italy
Belcastro
Belcastro (Calabria)
Coordinates: 39°1′N 16°47′E
CountryItaly
RegionCalabria
ProvinceCatanzaro (CZ)
FrazioniFieri di Belcastro
Government
 • MayorMaurizio Pace
Area
 • Total53.56 km2 (20.68 sq mi)
Elevation
535 m (1,755 ft)
Population
 (31 December 2013)[2]
 • Total1,397
 • Density26/km2 (68/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Belcastresi
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
88050
Dialing code0961
Patron saintThomas Aquinas
Saint day21 March
WebsiteOfficial website

History

The small town of Belcastro is situated on a rocky spur crowned by a Norman-style castle that belonged to the counts of Aquino and that some propose as the birthplace of Saint Thomas Aquinas, more commonly taken to have been born in the castle of Roccasecca, not far from Aquino. Feudo for some centuries of the Lords of Aquino, in 1330 by decree of the King of Naples, Robert of Anjou, became a county and changed its name from Geneocastro to Belcastro (Bellicastrum), as a tribute to the beauty of the place and gratification to Thomas 'Aquino, first count of the city and nephew of the saint. In the 15th century it was given the title of city.[3][4][5] The historian Lutio d'Orsi [6] (16th and 17th centuries) and jurist Giuseppe Poerio (1775-1843), patriot of the Italian Risorgimento and father of the poet Alessandro Poerio, also a patriot, were born in Belcastro.

Its population is now reduced to about 1400 (2017).

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References
  1. "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Istat. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Istat. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. Articles by Ivan Ciacci in Calabria Letteraria 1998, 1999, 2005, 2006;
  4. Cesare Sinopoli, La Calabria, Storia, Geografia, Arte (Catanzaro 1925);
  5. Girolamo Marafioti, Cronache e Antichità di Calabria (Padova 1601);
  6. Lutio d'Orsi..., I terremoti delle due Calavrie..., NA 1640 - New edition on line 2500 a cura di Ivan Ciacci.



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