Maida, Calabria

Maida (Calabrian: Majida; Albanian: Vina) is an Arbëreshë[3] town and comune in the province of Catanzaro, in the Calabria region of southern Italy. The British routed the French in the Battle of Maida in 1806, as part of the War of the Third Coalition.

Maida
Comune di Maida
Arco di San Antonio, leading into the town of Maida.
Arco di San Antonio, leading into the town of Maida.
Coat of arms of Maida
Location of Maida
Maida is located in Italy
Maida
Maida
Location of Maida in Italy
Maida is located in Calabria
Maida
Maida
Maida (Calabria)
Coordinates: 38°51′N 16°22′E
CountryItaly
RegionCalabria
ProvinceCatanzaro (CZ)
FrazioniVena di Maida
Government
  MayorSalvatore Paone
Area
  Total58.2 km2 (22.5 sq mi)
Elevation
299 m (981 ft)
Population
 (31 December 2013)[2]
  Total4,534
  Density78/km2 (200/sq mi)
DemonymMaidesi
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
88025
Dialing code0968
Patron saintSt. Francis of Paola
Saint day2 April
WebsiteOfficial website

Maida is 16 kilometres (10 mi) south of Lamezia Terme and 31 kilometres (19 mi) west of the provincial capital Catanzaro.

History

On 4 July 1806 the British under General John Stuart defeated the French under Jean Reynier outside the town at the Battle of Maida. A London pub on the Edgware Road was named The Hero of Maida, which in turn gave its name to the adjoining London districts, Maida Hill and, later, Maida Vale. King Ferdinand IV of Naples and Sicily awarded Stuart the title of Count of Maida.

The Norman castle of Maida was built in the 11th century under the direction of Duke Robert Guiscard.

Famous citizens

  • Mgr Giovanni Cervadoro, the Carbonaro and teacher, was born in Maida in 1783 and died in 1836, and wrote School Stabilimenti for his students in 1829.
  • Baldassarre Squitti, the teacher and politician, was born in Maida in 1855.
  • The American writer Gay Talese wrote about his ancestors from Maida in his 1992 book Unto the Sons.
  • Giuseppe Donato, sculptor and protégé of Auguste Rodin, was born in Maida in 1881 and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1965.

Economy

The main economic activity in the area is agriculture, especially the cultivation of olive trees, citrus, and kiwifruit. In recent years, tourism has become a significant source of income.

Sister cities

Maida is a sister city with:

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. P. Bruni, ed. (2004). Arbëreshë: cultura e civiltà di un popolo. p. 254. ISBN 9788824020091.
  4. "Ambler forms twinship with Maida, Italy". Retrieved 2012-12-30.




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