Filadelfia, Calabria

This article is about the municipality in Italy. For other places sharing the same name, see Filadelfia (disambiguation).

Filadelfia Greek: Φιλαδέλφεια
Comune
Comune di Filadelfia
Location of Filadelfia
Filadelfia Location of Filadelfia in Italy Show map of Italy Filadelfia Filadelfia (Calabria) Show map of Calabria
Coordinates: 38°47′N 16°17′E
Country	Italy
Region	Calabria
Province	Province of Vibo Valentia (VV)
Frazioni	Montesoro
Area [1]
• Total	30 km^2 (10 sq mi)
Population  (Dec. 2013)[2]
• Total	5,500
• Density	180/km^2 (470/sq mi)
Demonym	Filadelfini
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	89814
Dialing code	0968
Website	Official website

Filadelfia (Greek: Philadelphia) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Vibo Valentia in the Italian region Calabria, located about 30 kilometres (19 mi) southwest of Catanzaro and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) northeast of Vibo Valentia. The city was built in 1783 by the people of Castelmonardo, on land that was 6 kilometres (4 mi) from their city that was destroyed by an earthquake. It was named after the city of Philadelphia in the United States.^[3] As of 31 December 2013, it had a population of 5,500 and an area of 30 square kilometres (12 sq mi).^[4]

The municipality of Filadelfia contains the frazioni (subdivisions) of Montesoro, Pontenisi, Zagheria, Shiocca, Scarro, Nucarelle, Lucente and many other tiny villages.

Filadelfia borders the following municipalities: Curinga, Francavilla Angitola, Jacurso, Polia.

Demographic evolution

Population from census (see ref 1)

Filadelfia has seen a large decrease in people recently. This is due to the undeveloped technology and living conditions. It is at high elevation (roughly 600 m) and is at risk of earthquakes. In the summertime, July and August, this small, inviting town receives many tourists from Switzerland. People from the United States, Germany and France are also spotted here during the summer months. Younger people are leaving the town at a fast pace to find employment. They are moving to cities in a process known as urbanization. Many homes in this small town in Calabria, are "for sale" or "vendesi". About 20 years ago, the population was about 10,000. It is currently below 5,900.

References

1. "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
2. "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
3. Astarita, Tommaso (2005). Between Salt Water and Holy Water: A History of Southern Italy. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. p. 215. ISBN 0-393-05864-6.
4. All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute Istat.

External links

• Comune di Filadelfia official website