Essays on the History and Culture of the Unknown Calabria: Land of the Forgotten

Calabria is one of the oldest civilised regions of Europe. In antiquity, the philosophy, science, literature and poetry of the Greek Pythagoreans flourished here; in the Middle Ages, the Norman Kingdom was the most cultured and opulent civilisation in the world. However, in modern times, Calabria has suffered from the almost complete neglect of its multi-facetted cultural legacy by dominant foreign ruling powers, declining into a third world region at the toe of the Italian peninsula.

This book directs the attention of the world to those immense disregarded riches, through a collection of essays on the region’s history, arts and crafts, its philosophy and substantial intellectual legacy and especially its rejuvenation among the younger generations of today.

Each of the 16 chapters was written by a scholar with unique experience in their field of research. They will be immensely useful for academics as well as students interested in Mediterranean culture.

Caterina Pangallo, holds a BA(Honours) in philosophy from Sydney University, Australia, with a thesis on the philosophy of Alexander Nehamas. She also holds a postgraduate diploma in psychology from the University of Technology Sydney, Australia. She has lectured on philosophy, political thought, history and culture at the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA), Australia, for many years. Her writings include monographs on Socrates, Aristotle’s ethics, the Gracchi and the Roman Republic, and Ancient and Medieval Culture in the South of Italy and Sicily.

“With this kaleidoscope of perspectives from different fields of scholarship, the editor makes an important contribution to the knowledge of Calabria. These essays form the tiles of a resplendent mosaic of the region’s varied achievements, enhanced by today’s similarly commendable cultural activities.”
Giuseppe Caridi
Professor of Modern History at the University of Messina, Italy, President of the Deputazione di Storia Patria per la Calabria, and Editor of the Rivista Storica Calabrese (Calabrian Historical Journal)

“This book opens windows into the philosophical, historical, literary, artistic features that usually occupy the second tier. The book’s rhapsodic design is a circulation of ideas and art forms in which the contributions are leaps and illuminations on a long and still vital history.”
Giuseppe Lo Castro
Professor of Literature, University of Calabria, Italy

Barbara Aiello

Andrea Amoroso

Madiha Brikki

Natale Filice

Stefania Guglielmo

Tony Lynch

Elida Meadows

Caterina Pangallo

Barbara Priolo

Ilaria Serra

Marta Toma

Gianni Zappala