Manco
Casali del Manco: a new municipality in Calabria
Hello everyone! Today I will talk to you about one of the youngest municipalities in Italy: Casali del Manco. It is located in Calabria, in the province of Cosenza, and was established in 2017. Before then, there were five separate municipalities: Casole Bruzio, Pedace, Serra Pedace, Spezzano Piccolo, and Trenta. But with a referendum in March 2017, the citizens of four of these municipalities decided to join forces and form Casali del Manco.
The history of the term "Casali"
The name "Casali" derives from the ancient communities that date back to the year 1000. Each "casale" had its own administrative organization, but over the centuries they have been merged or divided based on the needs of the territory. Until 1800, there were fourteen "casali" in the area, but only some of them have maintained the traditions and cultural identity.
The merger of municipalities
The process of merging municipalities was initiated in 2017, when the citizens of four out of the five municipalities involved decided to join forces and form Casali del Manco. Spezzano Piccolo was the only municipality to vote against the merger, but it was still included in the new entity. The territory of Casali del Manco is the seventh largest municipality in Calabria and includes the highest peak of the Sila, Mount Botte Donato.
Symbols of Casali del Manco
The new municipality has adopted a coat of arms and a banner, with a rose that symbolizes the unity of the five original municipalities. The coat of arms was chosen through a popular consultation in 2018. The image was reinterpreted from an ancient drawing, kept in the Archive of Cosenza. The rose consists of a central flower with five petals (representing the five original municipalities) and twelve smaller flowers (for the fractions of the territory).
In conclusion, Casali del Manco is a young municipality but already rich in history and traditions. If you are in Calabria, don't miss the chance to visit it!
