Squillace

For other uses, see Squillace (disambiguation).

Squillace
—  Comune  —
Città di Squillace
Coat of arms
Squillace Location of Squillace in Italy
Coordinates: 38°47′N 16°31′E
Country	Italy
Region	Calabria
Province	Catanzaro (CZ)
Frazioni	Fiasco Baldaia, Squillace Lido
Government
• Mayor	Guido Rhodio
Area
• Total	33 km2 (13 sq mi)
Elevation	344 m (1,129 ft)
Population (May 31, 2005)
• Total	1,391
• Density	42/km2 (110/sq mi)
Demonym	Squillacesi
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	88069
Dialing code	0961
Patron saint	St. Agathius Martyr
Saint day	May 7
Website	http://www.squillace.org

Squillace (Greek: Skyllision, Skyllition) is an ancient seaside town and comune, in the Province of Catanzaro, part of Calabria, southern Italy, facing the Gulf of Squillace.

Squillace is situated on the east coast of Calabria, on the shores of an extensive bay, the Gulf of Squillace (Italian: Golfo di Squillace), which indents the coast of Calabria on the east as deeply as that of the Gulf of Saint Eufemia (Italian: Golfo di Sant'Eufemia) does on the west, with comparatively narrow isthmus between them.

History

Squillace is known today as one of Italy's most important archaeological sites as well as a popular resort.

The name derives from the ancient city of Scylletium, the principal ruins of which are located in the nearby comune of Borgia.

The Roman statesman and writer Cassiodorus founded a monastery called Vivarium on his family estates on the shores of the Ionian Sea in the sixth century AD. This monastery was on the site of the modern Santa Maria de Vetere near Squillace.

The modern town was founded as Byzantine fortress during the Byzantine reconquest of Italy (6th–8th c.)

In 904 was settled by the Arabs during their conquest of Sicily and Southern Italy, becoming an independent emirate in 924.

The Byzantines managed to re-capture the city in 965 but were finally to lose it to the Normans in 1059.

Squillace prospered under Norman rule, who encouraged trade and allowed Muslim, Christian (Orthodox & Catholic) and Jew to live side by side. They enlarged the Arab/Byzantine Castle and built the Cathedral.

The city belonged, successively to the Hauteville, Montfort, Lance, Del Balzo and Marzano families and changed from a Lordship to County (ruled by a resident Count) in the 13th Century.

In 1445 it reverted to Aragonese Kings of Naples but passed by marriage to the infamous House of Borgia who ruled the city as Princes of Squillace from 1494 to 1735.

Gioffre Borgia (1482-1516), son of Pope Alexander VI and younger brother of Cesare Borgia and Lucrezia Borgia married Sancia (Sancha) of Aragon, daughter of Alfonso II of Naples, obtaining as dowry the both the Principality of Squillace (1494) and the Duchy of Alvito (1497).

Although Gioffre was deprived of Alvito after the death of Sancia in 1506, he managed to retain Squillace. He subsequently married Maria de Mila, and passed it on to their son Francesco Borgia.

The Borgia Princes were: Gioffre, Francesco, Giovanni, Pietro and finally Anna e Donna Antonia Borgia D’Aragona on whose death, in 1735, it passed to Bourbon Kings of the Two Sicily’s. Living either in Naples or Spain the Borgia’s ruled their fief through governors.

Under the Bourbons Squillace was downgraded to Marquisate and granted in 1755 to the Marquis Leopoldo De Gregorio, a noble from Messina who was to be the last feudal Lord of Squillace.

Ceramics

Production of highly prized terra cotta has been an important part the local economy for centuries; Cassiodorus' writings make several mentions of it. Squillace is the home of the pignatari style of ceramic artistry. The name is derived from the Italian word pignata, an earthenware container used for cooking beans over an open fire.

People

• Cassiodorus
• Florestano Pepe
• Guglielmo Pepe