Nicastro (Greek: Neokastron, new castle) is a small town in the province of Catanzaro, in the Calabria region of southern Italy.

Nicastro's origins trace back to the 9th century, when Calabria was part of the Byzantine Empire, when a fortress called Neo Castrum ("New Castle") was created.

The centre was founded during the time of Saracen raids (IX-Xcentury), pushing coastal inhabitants to move to surrounding higher fortified ground.

Until the 18th century, in Nicastro and its surroundings sericulture was a very widespread and prosperous activity, so much so that five thousand pounds of raw silk were produced every year.

[1] According to the historian Giuseppe Maria Galanti, at the end of the 18th century, sericulture alongside the cultivation of mulberry trees for the breeding of silkworms were still practiced, however there was a decline in the production.