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).