A BIT OF HISTORY

S. Domenica Talao was founded in the 1640s by order of Ettore Maria Spinelli, Prince of Scalea. In 1662, having changed from a "casale" to a "terra" and "università", the village obtained autonomy from Scalea, while continuing to be part of the fiefdom of the Spinelli family, who also boasted the title of Princes of S. Domenica. At the same time, the church, which depended on the archpriestly church of Santa Maria d'Episcopio di Scalea, changed from a "curata" to a "sacramental" church, that is, autonomous. The first parish register dates back to the year 1662. From the 36 hearths (about 180 inhabitants) registered following the numbering of the kingdom in 1669, in the second half of the 1700s, the population increased to about 2280. At the time of the occupation of Calabria by Napoleonic troops in 1806 and until 1812, the territory of Santa Domenica was occupied by the brigands of Giuseppe Necco from Scalea, promoted from captain to major of the Bourbon army who roamed with his assault troops along the coastal strip and inland.
In June 1840, cholera broke out in the town. In the space of two months, 86 people lost their lives. During this period, processions were very frequently organized in honor of St. Joseph, protector of S. Domenica, to help the population overcome the difficult moment; but "the Asiatic plague" was finally eradicated a few months later thanks to the fall of copious rain.
In 1840, the year of the revolts in Italy, even in S. Domenica, despite the isolation, backwardness and illiteracy of a large part of the population, revolutionary ideas spread so much that a group of patriots, led by Leopoldo Campagna, rebelled against the government of Ferdinand II. The clash, which took place near Castrovillari, saw the retreat of Campagna and his 150 men due to lack of ammunition.
In 1860 S. Domenica had its Garibaldians following the Thousand. Garibaldi himself, wounded in Aspromonte, was treated by the doctor Don Pasquale Campagna, son of Leopoldo, who was later awarded a medal by Vittorio Emanuele II for his personal contribution to the unification of the Peninsula.
After the Unification of Italy, with the new structuring of the national territory, Santa Domenica ceased to belong to the district of Scalea and became an autonomous municipality. A decree of 1863 orders all municipalities with the same name to change it completely or modify it: to distinguish the town from other homonymous towns, the name "Talao" is associated with the name Santa Domenica.
In the historic center you can admire various noble palaces with stone portals, dating back to the 17th-18th century. The most famous is Palazzo Campagna. From the square, recently renovated, you can admire the Aeolian Islands and Mount Etna.