Grecanico

In the far south of Calabria, in the regional park of Aspromonte, Gallicianò stands as one of the last villages where Grecanico is spoken.
Stemming from the ancient Magna Grecia, the language began to fade from the 15th century in most of the region, surviving, to this day, only in a couple of villages nested in the impervious mountainous inland. Grecanico, with no more than a few hundred speakers, is included in the Red Book of UNESCO on endangered languages.

Several cultural associations present in the area aim to preserve the Calabrian Greek culture and language. Jalò tu Vùa, for instance, organizes Grecanico lessons once a year, and is working towards the creation of a grammar book.
Throughout the year, 30 residents live there permanently: among them, people like Raffaele, Domenico and Antonio keep the language alive, speaking it fluently among themselves.

Satellite map of the Bovesia region in Calabria, Italy, showing cities and towns including Reggio Calabria, Pentedattilo, Melito Porto Salvo, Bova, Palizzi Marina, Condofuri Marina, Gallicianò, Staiti, Roccaforte del Greco, San Lorenzo, Bagaladi, Brancaleone, and areas along the coast near the Mar Jonio sea.
A landscape of rolling hills and mountains during sunset with the sun partially behind the right hill, casting a warm glow. The foreground shows dry, grassy vegetation, and the middle ground features a dry riverbed or creek with winding paths.
A hillside village with old stone buildings, some with visible damage, featuring a church with a bell tower, surrounded by trees and mountains in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
An elderly man with gray hair and glasses wearing a blue striped shirt, leaning against a wall with a window, in front of a weathered wall with a sign written in Greek above.
An old, weathered building with a partially open wooden door, cracked and peeling exterior walls, surrounded by foliage and set against a mountainous landscape under a clear sky.
An elderly man with long hair, wearing a white T-shirt, sitting inside a cozy wooden house near a window. The room is decorated with various pictures, crosses, and hanging ornaments on the wall. There are bowls of potatoes and mushrooms on the table,
A small religious artwork depicting a child Jesus with a lamb, framed in wood, hanging on a textured, off-white wall with visible cracks and nails.
A large crowd of people participating in a religious procession or festival outside in a mountainous village setting. Some people are carrying a statue, surrounded by flowers. The scene includes old brick buildings, trees, and a church with a bell to
An elderly woman with gray hair and a green scarf receives a greeting or blessing from an older man wearing a red vest and a white shirt during a traditional celebration or religious festival, with a statue and flowers in the background.
Close-up of an older man with a white beard and mustache, wearing a dark blue shirt, standing in front of an ornate red and gold embroidered fabric backdrop.
An elderly man with gray hair, wearing glasses and a blue striped shirt, stands in front of religious icons on a wooden wall, decorated with red curtains, inside a church or chapel.
A tall, weathered wooden signpost with peeling blue and white paint, standing alone against a plain, overcast sky.
An elderly man with gray hair, smiling and playing an accordion inside a cozy rustic room decorated with hanging textiles and shelves of bowls and kitchenware.
A bronze plaque mounted on a stone wall with an inscription in Greek.
A rusted, abandoned truck with an open door, surrounded by rocky and dry terrain, with a pile of debris and dry bushes in the background.
Sunlit mountain landscape with large rock formations and greenery in a valley
Close-up of a green cactus pad with a dried, brown blossom on top against a blurred background.
An elderly man with gray hair playing an accordion in a dimly lit room decorated with woven textiles hanging on the wall and framed black and white photographs.
An informational outdoor sign featuring a map and informational text in Italian about the Amendola River and surrounding area, with labels and some damage, mounted on a wooden frame.
A desert landscape with dry, sparse vegetation and rolling hills in the background.