centro storico, di pianura, Spezzano Albanese, Spixana (denominazione in arbëreshë)

Spezzano Albanese, or Spixana in Arbëreshë, is a lowland town of Renaissance origin, its irregular plan pivoting on the main road, which here coincides with the old Calabrian state highway. The historic centre steps gently down from this axis, offering a broad, sea-facing terrace that inclines almost imperceptibly towards the Sibari plain. The town’s growth, which began in earnest in the nineteenth century, has since spilled chiefly along the main road and eastwards, though the core retains its orthogonal street pattern.

The site’s history goes deeper: Iron Age necropolises and Hellenistic settlement remains have been found here. The town itself was founded in the early 1500s by Albanians fleeing the Ottoman advance. Its name, Spixana, is thought to derive from the Latin personal name Spedius. Among its architectural heritage are the church of Santa Maria di Costantinopoli, the medieval church of San Biagio, and the ruins of the Norman castle of Sant’Antonio di Stridolo. The local mineral waters, known since antiquity, have encouraged a modest tourist trade, while agriculture remains the other anchor of the economy.

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