OUR TOWN: TREBISACCE

Trebisacce is situated on the North-East coast of the Ionian sea , precisely in the Northern part of the Sybaris Plains. The word Trebisacce comes from the Byzantine language Trapezàkion “small table” and it is evident the historical reference  to the tableau where the old village was built.

In far-off times the territory , as the archeological remains testify, registers the presence of human settlements. It is of great interest the site in Broglio area where it has been dug out a protostoric village and findings which date back to the Middle Bronze Age and to the First Iron Age. In  the acropolis of Broglio it has been brought to light  one of the most ancient forge which date  back to the Bronze Age. In the Iron Age the contacts with Greece and the Phoenicians ,started at the end of the Bronze Age and stopped at the Final Bronze Age, resume  more and more intensely : fragments of painted cups and a scarab have  been found on the last pavement of the ditch. Similar evidence come from the acropolis of Terra Mordillo e Francavilla Marittima.

The territory is characterized by a coastal strip, terraces and hills.

The town consists of two parts: the old one commonly called “ Paese” ( historical centre) and castled on a plateau; the lower one , known as “ Marina” is, instead, situated along the coast line.

The old village is surrounded by walls erected in the XVI century to defend the place by Saracens’ raids. Once the rampart, called by local people  "Bastione”, had four entrance doors: St. Leonard, The Annunciation, St. Martin, and St. Anthony. It has been defined “the balcony of the Alto Ionio”, in fact  from here you can enjoy an extraordinary panorama.

In 1576 the town suffered one of the cruellest Turks'attacks (10.000 Turks). The  town made up of only 500 people, although inferior in number  fought bravely  for three days succeeding in driving away the invaders; the troops sent by the prince of Bisignano got there only towards the end of the battle.

The church of St. Nicholas of Myra  is of a great historical interest. It was erected in the Byzantine period in 1040 and later, it was restored in  baroque style with the typical bent tiles set in circles around the dome and the Basilian bell tower  of the XII century with its distinctive internal pendenctives.

 The new part of the town, the “Marina”, consists of a few country residences of the early Marina of Trebisacce built around 1900.

THE ECONOMY

Citrus trees have always been at the base of local economy and the oranges produced here are still  exported all over Italy. The type of orange grown here is called “il biondo” ( the blonde) which differs from other kinds because it is available when the others are not any more in season that is its maturing time is in late Spring and it is also a very juicy orange. Citrus orchards ( oranges and lemons) are the main resource in agriculture sector. They are found in the “vigne” (vineyards) an area comprised between the bank of Saraceno stream, the motorway 106 Jonica , the Paese of Trebisacce and Marzuca district. The term “ vigna” is still used because prior to the cultivation of citrus trees , grapevine was grown. The vigna owners were called “vignaruoli”.

There are a great number of agri-farms which use this citrus fruit to put on the market first quality preserved fruit. But there  are also olive groves since olive oil is the base condiment of our diet. There are many oil mills that produce good quality olive oil which is destined also to foreign markets.

Another line of business is fishing. Every day motor trawlers and fishing boats sail  to come back in the evening with the catch of fish. The fish market of Trebisacce is a reference point for all fishermen of the Ionian coast line.