centro storico, di mezzacosta, costiero, difensivo, Amantea, Al Mant'ia (denominazione storica, IX sec.), Neos Pedion da cui Nepetia (denominazione storica, VII sec.), Clampetia (denominazione storica, periodo romano 204 a.C)

Amantea’s historic centre is a town shaped by its castle. The fortress, perched high on the crag, dictated the layout below: two ancient quarters, Catocastro and Paraporto, each with its own logic. Catocastro, named for the river that bounds it to the north, is the older settlement, its modest terraced houses still bearing the sturdy, defensive character of buildings that once had to protect themselves. Paraporto, growing out from the main gate, winds through tight alleys and unexpected little squares and viewpoints, with occasional examples of more refined architecture. The two quarters eventually linked, and later Via Indipendencia marked a new phase of expansion. The town’s deep history is written in its names: the Arabic Al-Amanthia, recorded by the geographer Al-Idrisi in 1154; the Roman Clampetia; the Greek Neos Pedion. The present fabric, however, is essentially Roman in its bones, a layered palimpsest of occupation. Just beyond the centre stands the convent of San Bernardino.

Description via source. Coordinates and heritage data from the Atika atlas.