a country of Italy, in the kingdom of Naples, divided into Calabria Ultra, and Calabria Citra, commonly called Ulterior and Citerior, or Further and Hither Calabria. Calabria Citerior is one of the 12 provinces of the kingdom of Naples; and bounded on the south by Calabria Ultra, on the north by Basilicata, and on the west and east by the sea: Cosenza is the capital. Calabria Ultra is washed by the Mediterranean sea on the east, south, and west, and bounded by Calabria Citra on the north. Reggio is the capital town.

This country has been almost entirely desolated by the earthquakes of 1783. The reiterated shocks extended from Cape Spartivento to Amantea above the gulf of St Eufemia, and also affected that part of Sicily which lies opposite to the southern extremity of Italy. Those of the 5th and 7th of February, and of the 28th of March, were the most violent, and completed the destruction of every building throughout the abovementioned space. Not one stone was left upon another south of the narrow isthmus of Squillace: and what is more disastrous, a very large proportion of the inhabitants was killed by the falling of their houses, near 40,000 lives being lost. Some persons were dug out alive after remaining a surprising length of time buried among the rubbish. Messina became a mass of ruins; its beautiful palazzata was thrown in upon the town, and its quay cracked into ditches full of water. Reggio was almost destroyed; Tropea greatly damaged; and every other place in the province levelled to the ground.

Before and during the concussion the clouds gathered, and then hung immovable and heavy over the earth. At Palmi the atmosphere wore so fiery an aspect, that many people thought part of the town was burning. It was afterwards remembered that an unusual heat had affected the skins of several persons just before the shock; the rivers assumed a muddy ash-coloured tinge, and a sulphurous smell was almost general. A frigate passing between Calabria and Lipari felt so severe a shock, that the steersman was thrown from the helm, and the cannons were raised upon their carriages, while all around the sea exhaled a strong smell of brimstone.

Stupendous alterations were occasioned in the face of the country; rivers choked up by the falling in of the hills, were converted into lakes, which if not speedily drained by some future convulsion, or opened by human labour, will fill the air with pestilential vapours, and destroy the remnants of population. Whole acres of ground, with housetops and trees upon them, were broken off from the plains, and washed many furlongs down the deep hollows which the course of the rivers had worn; there, to the astonishment and terror of beholders, they found a new foundation to fix upon, either in an upright or an inclining position. In short, every species of phenomenon, incident to these destructive commotions of the earth, was to be seen in its utmost extent and variety in this desolated country. Their Sicilian majesties, with the utmost expedition, despatched spatched vessels loaded with every thing that could be thought of on the occasion for the relief and accommodation of the distressed Calabrians; a general officer went from Naples with engineers and troops to direct the operations of the persons employed in clearing away and rebuilding the houses, and to defend the property of the sufferers. The king ordered this officer to take all the money the royal treasuries could supply or borrow; for, rather than it should be wanting on this pressing call, he was determined to part with his plate, nay the very furniture of his palace. A messenger sent off from a town near Reggio, on the 8th of February, travelled four days without shelter, and without being able to procure a morsel of bread; he supported nature with a piece of cheese which he had brought in his pocket, and the vegetables he was lucky enough to find near the road. To add to all their other sufferings, the Calabrians found themselves and the miserable wreck of their fortunes exposed to the depredations of robbers and pirates. Villains landed from boats and plundered several places, and thieves went even from Naples in search of booty: In order to strike a greater terror, they dressed themselves like Algerines; but were discovered and driven off. To this accumulated distress succeeded a most inclement season, which obstructed every effort made to alleviate it; and almost daily earthquakes kept the inhabitants in continual dread, not of being destroyed by the fall of houses, for none were left, but of being swallowed up by the splitting of the earth, or buried in the waves by some sudden inundation.

For further particulars concerning this dreadful catastrophe, and the phenomena attending it, see Earthquake.