Guardia Piemontese
Guardia Piemontese: a Commune in Calabria
Guardia Piemontese is an Italian commune located in the province of Cosenza, in Calabria. With a population of about 1799 inhabitants, Guardia Piemontese is known for its linguistic peculiarity, being a linguistic island of the Occitan language of southern Italy. The city was populated in the 12th and 13th centuries by settlers from the Kingdom of Arles, Provence, the Dauphiné, and the Occitan valleys of Piedmont, predominantly Waldensian Church.
Physical Geography
Guardia Piemontese has a privileged position on the Tyrrhenian coast of the province of Cosenza and stands at 515 meters above sea level. The capital of the Commune is known as Guardia Piemontese paese, while the fraction Marina has been developed recently and is called Guardia Piemontese Marina.
In terms of climate, Guardia Piemontese belongs to zone D and has a Mediterranean climate with hot and dry summers and mild and rainy winters.
Origins of the Name and History
Guardia Piemontese has gone through several historical phases and was initially called Casale di Fuscaldo, then Guardia Fiscalda and Guardia Lombarda before assuming the current name with the adjective "Piemontese." The latter refers to the predominantly Waldensian origin of the local population, who moved to Calabria in search of a safer and more hospitable place due to poverty or religious intolerance and persecution in their territories.
The inhabitants of Guardia Piemontese lived without conflicts for many centuries with the surrounding Catholic communities. However, after their adherence to the Protestant Reformation, Cardinal Michele Ghislieri (who would later become Pope Pius V) ordered the annihilation of the Waldensians present in both Piedmont and Calabria. This unleashed a crusade against them that led to the tragic Massacre of the Waldensians in Calabria.
The religious persecution spread to the ancient part of Guardia (the so-called "paese") with clashes and violence and the killing of much of the population, including women and children. Some survivors who escaped the massacre were forced to convert. Today, the blood door remains a testimony to this, and the memory of those historical facts is still present in the names of the streets.
Conclusions
Guardia Piemontese, with its history and linguistic peculiarity, is a Commune that deserves to be visited in Calabria. Its privileged position on the Tyrrhenian coast makes it one of the most beautiful and suggestive places in the province of Cosenza. In addition, its history highlights the resistance and resilience of its inhabitants, who were able to withstand the persecution and keep their culture and language alive.
