Finding himself in Rome waiting to take possession of his diocese , news reached him of the earthquake of 28 March 1783 which had ( among others ) destroyed all the centres of Calabria , his native land . Despite having been debilitated by a fall , he urged his brothers to abandon the old and destroyed site of Castel Monardo and found a new one at a place to be named piano della Gorna . Elaborating the plan for the new town , outlined by his brother Francescantonio , he arranged for a new Pubblico Sedile to be set up in the central piazza at his family 's expense and suggested the name of Filadelfia for the new town ( drawing the idea from king Ferdinand IV of Naples )
earthquake of 28 March 1783
1783 Calabrian earthquakes
Giovanni Andrea Serrao