The hypothesis of Bruzian construction is now strongly supported by various archaeological finds, dating from the Eneolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, discovered around the old city of Acri.

Later, it became a Roman fortress, as evidenced by a Latin marble plaque found in 1890 inscribed with "XII LEGIO," and small portions of Greek mosaics discovered near the castle.

The castle originally had a trapezoidal shape, with three towers positioned at the highest point and a fourth located at the lowest part of the defensive walls to control the drawbridge or machicolation gate.

The east wing of the ground floor includes a large hall, known as the "Sala delle Colonne," which features eight stone columns with late sixteenth-century style capitals.

The building spans three floors and houses a rich library with over five thousand volumes, including texts from the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as some rare ancient editions.

The entrance door, adorned with the Civitate family coat of arms, remains unchanged from antiquity, as do three iron cages, known locally as caggiarole.

These cages, placed on the wall facing Azzinnari Square by the Napoleonic army, were used to display the heads of three notorious bandit leaders.

The origins of the city of Acri have long been debated among scholars and are generally attributed to the ancient Osci people, who were later supplanted by the Bruzi and Lucani.

Notable findings from the site include ovens used for processing ceramics, Bruzian pottery, and the remains of a Roman villa dating to the 2nd-1st century BC.

In the historic center and surrounding areas of Acri, significant archaeological findings analyzed using carbon-14 dating have revealed continuous habitation from the Pre-Eneolithic period through the Iron Age.

The situation escalated to the point where Pope Urban II excommunicated all involved parties, and the Norman authorities sentenced them to five years in prison.

[13] Meanwhile, during that period, the slow but progressive process of Latinization, promoted by the Normans, continued in an environment strongly tied to Byzantine culture.

It took several months of effort, mainly to clear landslides, before a communication route could be reopened to bring wagons and aid to the most isolated areas.

Documented outbreaks include the plague as well as subsequent epidemics in 1422, 1528, 1575, 1656, 1638, 1738, and finally the Spanish flu in the early 20th century, which reportedly claimed the lives of about a thousand citizens according to the census.

The Sangineto and the Sanseverino families demanded the restitution of territories acquired by the Diocese of Bisignano, which they believed had been usurped by the bishops and abbots.

The bishop's stubborn refusal to relinquish the lands and renounce the alleged feudal rights provoked retaliation from the powerful barons.

On 28 June 1339, the eve of the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, they entered the city of Bisignano and killed the bishop's personal guards, family members, and everyone who defended him.

In 1462, Duke Luca Sanseverino of San Marco Argentano purchased the cities of Acri and Bisignano from the tax authorities, with the concession of King Ferrante I d'Aragona, for the sum of 20,000 gold and silver ducats.

Milan signaled the enemy troops from the guards at the outposts and, at the appointed time in the middle of the night, opened the city gates.

According to a document by the notary Marsilio Aliprandi dated 1479–80, many properties in the Parrieti, Padia, Picitti, and Castello districts were sold as vegetable gardens because the houses had been burned down and were in ruins.

When Charles VIII descended upon Italy, the Prince of Bisignano went to meet the king, while the Count of Acri and the Marquis of Squillace fled to Sicily.

He assaulted Acri during the night and, having coerced the administrators, used it as a new base to spread death and terror among his enemies—the anti-Bourbon revolutionaries who supported the French.

Fleeing hastily and separated from his main force, Santoro encountered the civic militia of Santa Sofia d'Epiro, commanded by Giorgio Ferriolo, on 13 August 1806.

While he successfully eliminated brigandage, he also used the extensive municipal property to buy the favor of councilors and voters, neglecting the so-called "Acritian plebs."

Subsequent administrations followed Sprovieri's lead, continuing to exploit state property despite complaints lodged by local newspapers at the time, with authorities turning a blind eye.

Additionally, social assistance initiatives emerged, including the establishment of a hospital, a hospice for the poor, and a boarding school, largely due to the efforts of Francesco Maria Greco, who is also credited with reforming the clergy of Acri.

The postwar period in Acri was marked by an outbreak of cholera and widespread social demonstrations prompted by high living costs and unemployment.

In 1927, with the unfortunate advent of fascism, the podestarile administration of Paride Manes began, followed by those of Filippo Sprovieri, Angelo Giannone, and Pasquale Talarico, and lasted until 1943.

[29] The top ten nationalities are: Others: Afghanistan, Iraq 7, Tunisia 5, Russian Federation, Latvia, Bangladesh 4, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, Burkina Faso 3, Austria, France, Liberia, Spain, Hungary, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, Venezuela, Gambia 2, Denmark, Netherlands, Switzerland, Pakistan, Guinea, Algeria, Angola, Sudan, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Philippines, Argentina, Moldova, Ivory Coast.

Its main characteristics compared to standard Italian are: In general, Acri follows the Calabrian dialect common in Calabria and Southern Italy.