Gallicianò
Gallicianò: a small village in Calabria
Gallicianò is a small village located in the metropolitan city of Reggio Calabria. The town has about 60 inhabitants and is known for being the only entirely Greek-speaking village in the area.
The center is located at an altitude of 621m, on the southern slope of the Aspromonte National Park. Through a road with many curves and cliffs, you can reach the first houses of the village, called Vucida, and then the central residential nucleus, where the church of San Giovanni Battista is located.
The history of Gallicianò
The area around the Amendolea river has been inhabited since the Neolithic age. The first inhabited center in the area was Peripoli, a fortified city of Magna Graecia.
The oldest documentary evidence of Gallicianò dates back to 1060 and is found in the "Brebion of the metropolitan church of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople of Reggio Calabria", a document curated by the Byzantinist André Guillou. In this document, the center is called "τό Гαλικίανον".
Until modern times, Gallicianò was a possession of the feudal estate of Amendolea. In the 700s and 800s, it was a municipal seat, but then the seat was moved to Condofuri Superiore.
The terrible Southern Calabria earthquake of 1783 severely damaged the village, which, however, maintained its original structure. The floods of 1951 and 1971 led many inhabitants to leave the village.
The language of Gallicianò
Gallicianò is part of the few Calabrian and Salentine villages that today are part of the Greek linguistic minority of Italy. The question of the origin of the language is still debated among linguists.
Gallicianò is the only entirely Greek-speaking center in the area and for this reason is called the "Acropolis of Magna Graecia". However, the Greek language of Calabria is now at serious risk of extinction.
The village is known throughout the area for the high conservativeness of its traditions, not only linguistic but also musical, gastronomic, and ritual.
Conclusions
Gallicianò is a small village with a millenary history and a unique language. The natural environment in which it is located is very suggestive, and the inhabitants are very attached to the traditions of their territory.
If you have the opportunity to visit Calabria, do not miss the chance to visit Gallicianò and discover this unique treasure.
