Calabria in Italy

This is english version
Study of the search for the site of the mythical city of Pandosia in valley of the Crati River

This part of the History of Castrolibero has been translated in English thanks to
Mr. Louis Ponsi - Timonium, Maryland, USA - that I publicly thank.

Edited by Alberto Anelli

Click Here for italian Version

Study of the search for the site of the mythical city of Pandosia in valley of the Crati River

The town of Castrolibero is located, according to many authors, in the place where the mighty fortress of Pandosia once rose. There the mythical city of the Enotri would be located, drawing its name from the great fertility of the soil: "Gifted City". Pan watched over it, son of Mercury, god with cloven hoofs, inventor of the flute and lover of every depravity.

The name of Italy is due to the son of Enotro. In fact during that era the Calabria of today was called Italy and the Salentina peninsula (heel of the boot) was referred to as Calabria.

Tito Livio, narrated in his History that during a siege near the walls of Pandosia (332 BC), Alexander Molosso, King of Epiro and uncle of Alexander the Great lost his life.


Part of Molosso's corpse, horrendously mutilated, was carried off to the near-by city of Cosenza, where it was subjected to unspeakable cruelty.


During the period that the Sibari and Crotone were predominant, Pandosia managed to preserve its political and economic autonomy, as testified to, among other things, by its valuable and rare coinage.

Subsumed into the great Roman Empire, Pandosia was subsequently destroyed by the fury of the Barbarian. (Notary Iacoe 1651 manuscript).

It is spoken of again in 868AD, when the King sent the Count of Bergamo Ottone to Calabria, to oppose the Emir of Amantea and his Saracens. The Saracens, leading an army of Franks, and joined by the bishops Hoschisio and Gheriardo, built a fortification right on the hill where the fortress of Pandosia once stood. From then on, the place was called "Castro-franco", i.e., "encampment of the Franks".

Castelfranco (now Castrolibero) was a fortified place for a long time (according to ancient legend, in the XI century Roberto the Guiscardo built a castle there to rule over the valley of the Crati River). The civil life of the population of that time was carried out in 2 neighboring small towns: Pantosa (now partially in Marano Principato up to its border with Castrolibero) & Veneri (now Castelvenere, in Castrolibero's Andreotta section).



After a series of smaller feudal subjugations, Castelfranco ended up under the powerful Sanseverino family of Bisignano (XV century). In 1487, as a consequence of what history records as the "Conspiracy of the Barons", in which the Sanseverino family participated, King Ferdinand ordered the Castelfranco town walls and houses destroyed, because that fortress had created notable problems for the Aragonese family of Cosenza.



In 1550 Pietro Antonio Sanseverino granted as dowry to his daughter Eleonora, upon her marriage to the Marquis of nearby Rende, the towns of Castelfranco and Cerisano, comprised obviously of all their rights & even the vassals of every order and rank.

Between 1562 and 1566 the feudal domain of Castelfranco (Castrolibero) was acquired by Valerio Telesio, brother of the noted philosopher Bernardino.

Oppressed in various ways by their new feudal master, the vassals of Castelfranco did not suffer the Baron's "yoke" for long. After an attempt against his son Roberto that did not produce the effect hoped for by the castelfranchesi, on 10 August 1579, under circumstances that remain mysterious to this day, the inhabitants of Castelfranco rose in a popular revolt that ended with the murder of Valerio Telesio in the church of San Giovanni.

Castelfranco later passed to the Sersale family, descendants of a prior owner of the fiefdom, which retained it until the end of the XIX century AD.

Center of a "vendita carbonara" [an early 19th century secret political society] led by the Parise brothers, Castelfranco actively participated in the revolutionary movements of the first half of the 19th century. In 1844 one of its citizens, Santo Cesario, born in San Fili but resident of Castelfranco, was executed in the valley of Rovito for participating in the revolutionary movement of 15 Mar 1844. Later, the Bandeira brothers were executed in the same place.

After the Unification of Italy, King Vittorio Emanuele II, with his decree of 26 March 1863, recognized the change of name from Castelfranco to Castrolibero, as resolved by the local Decurionato (communal Council).

Struck by several earthquakes over the centuries (1638, 1783, 1835, 1854), Castrolibero endured an additional disaster during of the quake of September 8, 1905. On that occasion, a Committee formed in Naples came to build 17 new houses in Castrolibero's Historic Center.

To the Mayor of Naples, who attended the December 1, 1907 opening ceremony, a local orator, after praising the work and generosity of the Neapolitans, wanted to address Castrolibero's ancient origins:

"Tell Naples, Mr. Mayor, tell Naples, gentlemen of the Committee, that the voice of thanks and gratitude is not that of a humble and obscure village, but is that of the illustrious city which Pandosia once was said to be. Here coinage was minted, here a Forum, here a Senate, here the double town-walls that made the city formidable to its enemies, here when barbarians were everywhere else shined the sunlight of civilization, science and art. Tell Naples thank you in the name of Pandosia".

Already well-known in the XV century for its many brick furnaces, Castrolibero was always valued in antiquity for its excellent silk production. After the two great wars (1915/1940) the shoemaking handicraft became extremely disseminated. That earned Castrolibero its well-known name "town of shoemakers".

This part of the History of Castrolibero has been translated in English thanks to Mr. Louis Ponsi - Timonium, Maryland, USA - that I publicly thank.

Centro Storico di Castrolibero (Foto 2005). La chiesa SS. Salvatore è a destra della foto

View of the Historical Center of Castrolibero
To your left the Church St. Salvatore had built since 1972 to 1974 in the said place "Ahead in church" really in front of the place "arrieti u castieddru" (Behind the castle). Á. your right the plaza "Old Church - Chiesa vecchia". Á. the center in the vegetation, slightly moved toward your left, plaza is St. Giovanni. In low, on the extreme right, the "Palazzotto" and the round tower.

The map of the Historical Center

Castrolibero - Centro Storico - 2008

Castrolibero - Centro Storico - "CAPO SOPRANO" - 2008

Castrolibero - Centro Storico - "CAPO SOTTANO" - 2008

VISITS THE HISTORICAL CENTER- Photos

Castrolibero, March 2007

Alberto Anelli

L'Autore si riserva di esercitare tutti i diritti editoriali - Pertanto non è consentito copiare i contenuti di questo sito, se non indicandone espressamente la fonte e l'autore.

Per la Collana Storia di Castrolibero, a cura di Alberto Anelli:

- La Storia di Castrolibero in 20 pagine - Edizione Luglio 2007
- Castrolibero - Il paese degli scarpari
- Il Terremoto dell'8 settembre 1905 a Castrolibero.
- Castrolibero 100 anni dopo il terremoto del 1905.
- Storia della chiesa crollata nel 1905 in Piazza Pandosia di Castrolibero
- La Storia delle due chiese dedicate a San Francesco nella frazione Santa Lucia
- Mappa della località Piazza Pandosia nel 1970 (con foto degli anni 1956-1970)
- Il Palazzotto di Castrolibero - Storia, mappe e foto
- La tragica fine di Valerio Telesio nella rivolta popolare del 10 agosto 1579