Amato
Amato (Amàtu in arbëresh) è un comune italiano di 827 abitanti della provincia di Catanzaro in Calabria.
Amato è uno dei paesi più antichi della Calabria, essendo più volte menzionato da Plinio il Vecchio. I suoi abitanti, sembra, siano originari dell'antichissima città di Lametia, che sorgeva sul promontorio del Golfo di Sant'Eufemia. Poiché questa città, per ignota sciagura, nei primi secoli dell'era cristiana scompare, i superstiti cercano rifugio dapprima in Nicastro (Neocastrum), per poi trasferirsi nella vallata del Lamato, la cui omofonia si presta a far credere che derivasse dall'antica Lametia. Esistono, infatti, ancora oggi, nelle contrade "Lachi" e "Ammendola" i ruderi delle chiese di Sant'Andrea e di San Nicola e le fondamenta di un castello.I primi cenni storici risalgono al 1060, quando il Campanile lo descrive come feudo disabitato. Nel 1100 circa viene dominato dal cugino di Costanza d’Altavilla e più tardi, nel 1400 circa, fu feudo dei Ruffo di Catanzaro, che lo cedettero ai Susanna, ai Rodio ed ai Rocca, che a loro volta lo cedettero al Principe di Maida. Verso il 1550 lo acquistò per il prezzo di 50.000 ducati don Antonio Donato Mottola, Barone di Joppolo, Coccorino e Monterosso. I Mottola detennero il paese sotto la loro giurisdizione fino al 1811, quando l’Italia, sotto la Repubblica francese di Napoleone, abolì di fatto il feudalesimo, lasciando ai vari signori solo il titolo. Oggi il paese, che ha conosciuto negli anni cinquanta il fenomeno triste dell’emigrazione, conta circa 1000 abitanti. Dotato dei più elementari servizi, è un paese che per la mitezza del clima, la tranquillità e l’ospitalità della gente rappresenta una meta ideale per chi vuole trascorrere una vacanza tranquilla. Il Santo Patrono di Amato è San Francesco da Paola.
Nella Chiesa è conservata la statua lignea a mezzo busto donata dal marchese Mottola alla Parrocchia nella seconda metà del 1600 in cambio del diritto di sepoltura e dello jus patronati.
I festeggiamenti in onore del Santo si celebravano l’ultima domenica di maggio e duravano 3 giorni, preceduti dal novenario.
Dal venerdì alla domenica era caratteristica la fiera del bestiame, evento atteso da tutto il circondario per l’abbondanza di animali presenti. La vigilia era dedicata ai giochi popolari ed ai piatti tipici che venivano predisposti in piazza, in stand improvvisati, e comprendevano il caratteristico spezzatino (stufato di trippa bovina con abbondante peperoncino piccante).
La giornata della Festa era caratterizzata da una suggestiva processione che percorreva le vie del paese con canti in onore del Santo protettore. La serata si chiudeva con l’esibizione della banda musicale in piazza. A causa del clima rigido e soprattutto per dar modo ai tanti emigrati di poter assistere alla festa, con delibera di Giunta, nel 1970, la festa è stata spostata alla seconda domenica di agosto. Ancora oggi resta inalterato il rito religioso, con il novenario di preparazione e, ciclicamente, con l’esposizione delle reliquie del Santo. Le manifestazioni civili prevedono intrattenimenti sin dal venerdì prima della festa e si concludono con lo spettacolo pirotecnico la sera di domenica.
Amato – Stemma
A woman in historical Amatese dress
Amato piazza
Central square monument for patron saint Francesco of Paola
Amato,Catanzaro,Italy Pasquetta 30 Marzo,1970,;Le Manche,Amato CZ.
History
Amato is one of the oldest towns in Calabria. It is mentioned by the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who calls it "Portus Amati Fluminis" (harbour of the Amato River). It is also mentioned by the Roman Pliny the Elder in one of his books. He calls it "Sinus Lametinus" (Lametino Harbour).It appears that the people of Amato originated from the ancient city of Lametia, on the promontory of the Gulf of Saint Euphemia, near the mouth of the Amato River. It was one of the most thriving cities of old Calabria, which at that time was called Brettium sometimes referred to as Bruttium.
From an English publication entitled "Brief History of Amato", we learn that Amato existed many years before the foundation of Rome. From this book we also learn that at that time Amato was very industrious and had a population of about 20,000 people. Its economy was centered around the very important textile industry, with about 1300 looms at work. In fact even up to a few years ago many Amatese women had a loom and many of them were very capable weavers. Production of the silkworm was also a very popular activity.
That primeval but progressive town was destroyed by floods. Many of its inhabitants perished, others relocated to other cities like Sant'Eufemia, Nicastro, Sambiase, Bella, etc. Few families relocated to the hills of the plateau of the Amato River where they built a new town, but kept the same name.
These people settled on the hills of: Piano di Amato, Lachi, Cutro, Amendola and Andressi. This entire area was later called UMBRI and even today it is known by the same name. UMBRI in Latin means "saved from the floods". And it was here that these people built the new Amato. Remains of two old churches San 'Nicola and Sant' Andrea and of a castle nearby are proof of the existence of Amato at this location. Also, during some excavation work a golden cross and golden chalice were found. Later on, two workers PIETRO PINGITORE and FRANCESCO ROMEO (both presently residing in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) found in this same area some very old coins. Unfortunately all these were misplaced by the public authority before experts had an opportunity to study them.
The entire Mediterranean basin suffered from attacks by pirates at this time, and Amato was not spared. There was the risk of malaria, a factor that affected the entire Italian peninsula. Tuscany was the hardest hit (see map. Malaria existed far inland through the Veneto area, reaching the Italian Alps, around and beyond Lake Garda. The inhabitants of this new town, alas, did not have an easy time at their new location, but they did not give up. They just moved to higher grounds to the present location. Amato is located to the north of the Catanzaro Isthmus at an altitude of 480 metres above sea level, between the gulfs of Sant'Eufemia and Squillace. This new town appears to have been built during the Middle Ages when the Normans came to the Amato Plains. In fact, thanks to the Normans the Amato Plains were fortified against pirate attacks. They built castles at Nicastro, Maida, Feroleto, Lamezia Terme and one also at Amato. Some of these Norman castles still exist today. Their names are often preceded by the word rocca from the Latin 'rock', which means fortification. Some examples are Rocca di Neto, Rocca Imperiale, Roccaraso, to name a few.
First inhabitants (1000–800 B.C.)
The Italias were the first established people of Calabria. Later came
the BRETTI from Lucania. These occupied Calabria and called it BRUZIO.
The Bruzi were very advanced culturally. They dedicated themselves to
agriculture and to the raising of domestic animals. Later they started
handicrafts and industries; promoted commerce and developed the exchange
of their products with nearby people.
In 1675 the territory of Amato ceased to belong to the Mottola family and was subdivided into small holdings. The entire area was first called The University of Amato and later Commune of Amato. With the subdivision of the territory, every resident of Amato became a private landowner. Vast territories were granted to the wealthiest families: Anania, Caligiuri, Cantafio, Cianflone, Cosentino, D'Amico, Falvo, Fiorentino, Grande, Graziano, Jenzi, Lo Scerbo, Lo Schiavo, Mauro, Mazza, Mottola, Pallone, Papucci, Rossi, Todaro, Torchia, who could date their ancestry to ancient Rome. The Commune of Amato kept for itself the forestland. This was however contested by the Mottola family, a dispute later resolved by the King Commissioner Angelo Masci. Under his ordinance the commune of Amato was granted two thirds of its claim, more specifically: Montagna Soprana and Montagna Sottana. The other one third was given to the Mottola family. The commune also received one half of the territory known as "Mugamero" with the other half remaining to the Mottolas.
With the subdivision of the Amato territory, many residents became minor landowners. However many were unable to survive from these little farms and soon they sold their possessions to other landowners thus contributing to the consolidation of large territories under the ownership of few families, a fact that remains to this day. While recent divisions among heirs has divided the large holdings, the lands remain, nonetheless, within the same families noted above.
Lands not cultivated by the wealthy landowners that were not needed for pasture, were freely given to sharecroppers (or tenant farmers), who became responsible for the farming of the land and in return would keep 3/4 or 2/3 of the net production, depending on the crop. They were allowed to keep a pig, a goat, some sheep and chickens on the land to help them provide for their families. This 'feudal system' was practiced up to 1900. It was improved over time, for example, by Dr. Giuseppe Caligiuri who improved productivity by putting at their disposal a plough pulled by two oxen.
Dr. Caligiuri's initiative was not well received by the other upper class. They believed that this new approach to farming would benefit sharecropper more than it would benefit them. Instead of supporting this brilliant initiative, the wealthy landowners closed themselves into a mean conservatism not well received by the sharecroppers. This is partly the reason why the south has not developed into a 'Riviera' or ‘Cote d’Azur,’ due primarily to the control of the wealthy ancient families.
Over the years, the tenant farmers left their lands; they left Amato and emigrated to the industrial factories of the North or moved to North America, Australia, South America, etc. No doubt the Italian spirit to 'create' was partly to blame, especially when the average Calabrian tenant farmer of the early 1800s, with his plot of land, his share of the crops, and his livestock was a wealthy man compared to his London counterpart in England, a fact that is vividly and accurately documented in real time by Charles Dickens.
AMATO
AMATO
amato-piazza-caligiuri
Amato - Castello Feudale - Arco (Resti)
Municipio
Torre del Castello Feudale (resti)
Fontana
Greeks (800–300 B.C.)
Between the 8th and 7th century B.C. the Greeks occupied the shores of Calabria. Their first colonies soon became very wealthy and thriving by limiting their activities to the exchange of manufactured goods for agricultural products. Later they occupied all of southern Italy and monopolized the entire commerce of the region. Thanks to the Greeks, Calabria became a very industrious and productive region. It was part of "MAGNA GRECIA".Romans
During the war between the Romans and Pyrrhus, the Bruzi fought beside the army of Taranto against the Romans. The Romans defeated Pyrrhus, occupied Taranto and all other cities of Calabria, including Amato. We do however know that Amato at that time was located at a very strategic location in the Gulf of Sant'Eufemia and therefore could have played a very important role. After his defeat in the second Punic War, Hannibal hid from the Romans in the mountains of Calabria, until he escaped back to Carthage.Normans
After the accord of Melfi, Pope Niccolo II gave to the Normans the government of Calabria and Puglia. The Normans were very democratic and enterprising. We owe to them the creation of the Abbey of Sant' Eufemia Lamezia, the construction of the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Dipodi, the fortification of the Amato Plains and the introduction of the sugar cane. Under Norman rule the Amato Plains enjoyed peace and prosperity. Under their rule Pope Callistro II personally visited all the towns of the Amato Plains. During this visit he inaugurated the Sanctuary of Dipodi, consecrated the Cathedral of Nicastro, the Church of Mileto and then he went to Catanzaro to consecrate the Church Maggiore.After the Normans - Feudalism
From the 1st half of the 1400, the history of Amato begins to be better documented. At that time the territory of Amato was given to the feudatory Francesco Rodio of Catanzaro by Alfonso I, King of Naples. Then it was transferred to Prince Marcantonio of Loffredo. In 1635 it was given to Donato A. Mottola by the King of Spain. Donato A. Mottola was given the title of "MARQUIS of Amato". After his death the Amatese territory was inherited by his son ORAZIO MOTTOLA who was also Baron of Joppolo, Coccorino and Monterosso.In 1675 the territory of Amato ceased to belong to the Mottola family and was subdivided into small holdings. The entire area was first called The University of Amato and later Commune of Amato. With the subdivision of the territory, every resident of Amato became a private landowner. Vast territories were granted to the wealthiest families: Anania, Caligiuri, Cantafio, Cianflone, Cosentino, D'Amico, Falvo, Fiorentino, Grande, Graziano, Jenzi, Lo Scerbo, Lo Schiavo, Mauro, Mazza, Mottola, Pallone, Papucci, Rossi, Todaro, Torchia, who could date their ancestry to ancient Rome. The Commune of Amato kept for itself the forestland. This was however contested by the Mottola family, a dispute later resolved by the King Commissioner Angelo Masci. Under his ordinance the commune of Amato was granted two thirds of its claim, more specifically: Montagna Soprana and Montagna Sottana. The other one third was given to the Mottola family. The commune also received one half of the territory known as "Mugamero" with the other half remaining to the Mottolas.
With the subdivision of the Amato territory, many residents became minor landowners. However many were unable to survive from these little farms and soon they sold their possessions to other landowners thus contributing to the consolidation of large territories under the ownership of few families, a fact that remains to this day. While recent divisions among heirs has divided the large holdings, the lands remain, nonetheless, within the same families noted above.
Lands not cultivated by the wealthy landowners that were not needed for pasture, were freely given to sharecroppers (or tenant farmers), who became responsible for the farming of the land and in return would keep 3/4 or 2/3 of the net production, depending on the crop. They were allowed to keep a pig, a goat, some sheep and chickens on the land to help them provide for their families. This 'feudal system' was practiced up to 1900. It was improved over time, for example, by Dr. Giuseppe Caligiuri who improved productivity by putting at their disposal a plough pulled by two oxen.
Dr. Caligiuri's initiative was not well received by the other upper class. They believed that this new approach to farming would benefit sharecropper more than it would benefit them. Instead of supporting this brilliant initiative, the wealthy landowners closed themselves into a mean conservatism not well received by the sharecroppers. This is partly the reason why the south has not developed into a 'Riviera' or ‘Cote d’Azur,’ due primarily to the control of the wealthy ancient families.
Over the years, the tenant farmers left their lands; they left Amato and emigrated to the industrial factories of the North or moved to North America, Australia, South America, etc. No doubt the Italian spirit to 'create' was partly to blame, especially when the average Calabrian tenant farmer of the early 1800s, with his plot of land, his share of the crops, and his livestock was a wealthy man compared to his London counterpart in England, a fact that is vividly and accurately documented in real time by Charles Dickens.
amato-piazza-caligiuri
Monumento agli Emigranti
Scuola Elementare
Villa Chimirri
Museo del Borgo
Si è svolta anche quest'anno la riuscitissima sagra di “Chiana Petra” ad Amato, Catanzaro.
Amato
Tenuta Galati - Amato
The Galati Estate, once belonged to Baron Chimirri, former Minister of
the Kingdom of Italy, is the company headquarters and the main
production unit. A striking Estate of about 80 hectares of land,
characterized by a soft hilly course and an altitude ranging from 500 to
700 meters above sea level. It is located, in Amato (CZ), IGT Calabria
area, at the narrowest point of Calabria, offering a very unique and
spectacular view which opens at the same time on Tyrrhenian Sea as well
on Ionian Sea
Barriques and bottles in aging phase are kept into the barrel room,
carved into natural rock carefully thanks to the inclusion of barrel and
cross vaults realized with sestina bricks and travertine. These
architectural decisions give great visual impact. The barrel room
spreads over an area of about 1200 square meters at a depth of 6 meters.
The choice of a buried structure responds to the need of mitigating as
much as possible the temperature changes and ensuring the best
conditions for the wine aging.
Veduta panoramica di Amato(CZ) visto dalla Variante.
AMATO(2015)Francesco Falvo & Francesco Mauro(lancia)
mi ricordo la mia infanzia Pino Lucia
AMATO - ANTICO
LA PIGNA-AMATO,CZ,ITALIA
FONTANA DEI GRECI.
.LA FONTANA DEI GRECI: Fu' costruita nel 1457 da una colonia di albanesi che vi si stabilirono capitanati da Demetrio Reres in soccorso del Re Alfonso IV D’Aragona contro l’invasione dei turchi dal Regno di Napoli.
Foto di Amato Antico
Amato is one of the oldest towns of the Calabria being repeatedly mentioned by Pliny the Elder. Its inhabitants, it seems, originate in the ancient city of Lametus or Lamatus. , which stood on the promontory of the Gulf of St.Euphemia near the mouth of the river Lametus or Lamatus,now fiume Amato
Foto di Amato Antico
Amato è una delle città più antiche della Calabria che viene più volte menzionato da Plinio il Vecchio. I suoi abitanti, a quanto pare, hanno origine nell'antica città di Lametus o Lamatus. , che si trova sul promontorio del Golfo di S. Eufemia vicino alla bocca del fiume Lametus o Lamatus, ora fiume Amato
Foto di Amato Antico
Medievale.Borgo
medievale tra i più belli e suggestivi in assoluto della Calabria, il
paese s'impone a 480 metri di quota sopra un irto colle affacciato
sulla valle del fiume Amato, che divide il colle dai contigui paesi di
Tiriolo e Marcellinara..Circondato da una verdeggiante corona di borghi
medievali più interessanti di tutta la Calabria. La sua posizione geografica
ha contribuito a conservare quasi intatti i suoi gioielli
architettonici del Trecento, tra i quali spicca la splendida chiesa
della Immacolata Concezione.Si pensa che la piccola
chiesetta(Chiesu-lidda, Chiesulilla)del borgo SIA STATA COSTRUITA
INTORNO AL 1000-1100(X*-XI) da i primi abitanti amatesi.
PRIMA E DOPO L'INCENDIO DEL 24 AGOSTO 2007.
Sull’altipiano della montagna di Amato c’è un bosco monumentale dove si conservano alberi alti 45 m, dal tronco largo circa 2 m. e dall’età straordinaria di 350 anni. Una selva di pini larici,castagni,e aceri montani piantata nel Seicento dai Marchesi Mottola........oltre al pino laricio sono presenti anche meli selvatici, faggi, castagni, quercie,pioppi tremuli e aceri montani, .........
Il Casino dei Mazza (Lamanna Photography, AMATO)
AMATO: Il Museo del Borgo
La vozza per l'acqua
"A Gummula"
VIA TIMPONE (JIUDECCA):" Risalente al XVI secolo
IL CORPUS DOMINI
.LA FONTANA DEI GRECI: Fu' costruita nel 1457 da una colonia di albanesi che vi si stabilirono capitanati da Demetrio Reres in soccorso del Re Alfonso IV D’Aragona contro l’invasione dei turchi dal Regno di Napoli.
Amato is one of the oldest towns of the Calabria being repeatedly mentioned by Pliny the Elder. Its inhabitants, it seems, originate in the ancient city of Lametus or Lamatus. , which stood on the promontory of the Gulf of St.Euphemia near the mouth of the river Lametus or Lamatus,now fiume Amato
Foto di Amato Antico
Amato è una delle città più antiche della Calabria che viene più volte menzionato da Plinio il Vecchio. I suoi abitanti, a quanto pare, hanno origine nell'antica città di Lametus o Lamatus. , che si trova sul promontorio del Golfo di S. Eufemia vicino alla bocca del fiume Lametus o Lamatus, ora fiume Amato
Sull’altipiano della montagna di Amato c’è un bosco monumentale dove si conservano alberi alti 45 m, dal tronco largo circa 2 m. e dall’età straordinaria di 350 anni. Una selva di pini larici,castagni,e aceri montani piantata nel Seicento dai Marchesi Mottola........oltre al pino laricio sono presenti anche meli selvatici, faggi, castagni, quercie,pioppi tremuli e aceri montani, .........
LA PIGNA.
(Lamanna Photography, AMATO)
"A Gummula"
Amato(CZ)Italy
Amato(CZ)Italy
Pasquetta o Ferragosto
Amato nel cuore.
Amato:Casino Mazza
Amato: l'interno della chiesa Madre
I^ Elementare di Amato-CARNEVALE(1959)
Percorso S. Pietro Apostolo-Fiume Amato - "Dei Mulini"
Ripercorre una antica mulattiera utilizzata dagli abitanti del paese per raggiungere i mulini posti lungo le rive del Fiume Amato. II percorso si caratterizza sia per il sentiero con fondo in pietra che scende tra due muretti a secco, sia per la rigogliosa vegetazione di ripa, che per gli opifici che ancora mantengono intatti la loro struttura architettonica. Nelle trasparenti acque del fiume Amato diffusa è la pesca alla trota.
Le pacchianelle Amatesi-Maria Luisa Morello
Amato. Antico mulino ad acqua per fare la farina, vicino alla fontana dei Greci.Con le mura diroccate.
Pasquetta o Ferragosto
Ripercorre una antica mulattiera utilizzata dagli abitanti del paese per raggiungere i mulini posti lungo le rive del Fiume Amato. II percorso si caratterizza sia per il sentiero con fondo in pietra che scende tra due muretti a secco, sia per la rigogliosa vegetazione di ripa, che per gli opifici che ancora mantengono intatti la loro struttura architettonica. Nelle trasparenti acque del fiume Amato diffusa è la pesca alla trota.
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