The Normans: the birth of a new era for Catanzaro
Contenuto dell'articolo
In 1059, under the leadership of Robert Guiscard, Catanzaro fell under Norman control and was elevated to a county, marking the beginning of a new chapter in its history.
Despite the arrival of new customs and ways of living, the city did not lose its vitality but experienced a flourishing in municipal institutions, arts, and crafts.
The tradition of silk processing remained particularly prosperous, a true local treasure that fueled commercial exchanges with other Italian regions and countries in the East, a testament to a cosmopolitan and commercial vocation.
Around 1250, Emperor Frederick II included Catanzaro in the royal demesne, entrusting the control to powerful local families such as the Ruffo, Caraffa, and Soriano.
This "demesne" shaped the city's political fortunes and destiny, influencing decisions and alliances in the centuries to come.
Thus, Catanzaro consolidated itself as a center of power and culture in the heart of Calabria, intertwining tradition, art, and governance under the new Norman domination.
