Calabria is a southern region delimited by the Tirrenian Sea and the Ionic Sea. Its Capital is
Reggio Calabria, and its provinces are
Catanzaro,
Cosenza,
Crotone and
Vibo Valentia.
It was a very important colony for the Greek expansion (Magna Grecia) in the 8th century B.C. . After the second Punic War, Calabria , was conquered by the Romans (2nd century. B.C.); The region was subdued to the domination of the
Goths, the
Byzantines and the
Longobards (9th century B.C); It was during this period that the territory of ”Cosentino” was separated from the rest of the region, passing first under the Dukedom of Benevento and after under the Principality of Salerno (847).
The return of the Byzantines during the 10th century was significant for the reunification of the region and allowed the expansion of the monarchy. The region was also strongly Hellenised during this period, and keeps to this day its influence in linguistic, artistic and archaeological fields.
The Dominations of the Norman (1059-1198) and of the Swede (1214-1266) are at the basis, still today, of the Nordic features that can be found (blue eyes and blonde hair) in this southern featured population. The region was then under the power of the
Angioini Family ,of the
Aragonesi, and last of the
Borboni.
During the
Italian Risorgimento, after the failed attempt to revolt for the regions independence, of the
Bandiera Brothers in 1844, Calabria was liberated from the Borbonic domination by Garibaldi with his
Spedizione dei Mille in 1860. The region was then annexed to the reign of Sardinia, and therefore to the
Reign of Italy in 1860.
In recent times two new provinces have been formed
Vibo Valentia and
Crotone.