Nicastro

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Location of the province of Catanzaro

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Nicastro (Greek: Neokastron, new castle) is a small town and episcopal see in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region of southern Italy.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Economy
4 Notes and references

[edit] Geography

It is situated on the isthmus between the gulfs of St. Euphemia and of Squillace, the narrowest part of Calabria. At 970 ft. above sea-level, it commands a fine view. It is 17 miles northwest of Catanzaro by rail, and 25.5 miles east of St. Euphemia, a station on the line along the Niccolinice railroad line which runs on the west coast from Naples to Reggio di Calabria.

[edit] History

The cathedral, an ancient temple, with the episcopal palace, was outside the city; it was restored in the year 1100 after being pillaged by Saracens. The ruined castle at Nicastro served as the place of imprisonment of Frederick II's son Henry.

Innocent IX was the bishop of Nicastro from 1560 to 1572. The area suffered greatly in the earthquake of 1638, which destroyed the cathedral and the Benedictine abbey of St. Euphemia, founded by Robert Guiscard. Valuable archives were lost in the ruins. In 1818 the Diocese of Nicastro was merged with the ancient See of Martorano, the former Mamertum, whose first bishop was Domnus in 761.

The population in 1901 was 13,671.^{[citation needed]}