Calimera (meaning “good morning”) is a small town in the “Grecìa Salentina,” or Greek Salento, at Italy’s Southern Apulia. Besides Italian, the inhabitants of Calimera also speak Griko, a linguistic amalgam comprising ancient Greek, Byzantine Greek and Italian elements.
In an effort to promote the dialect of Griko – also spelled Grico, a form of the Greek language spoken by people in the Magna Graecia region in southern Italy – the Organisation for the promotion of the Greek Language hosts an annual essay contest for pupils attending schools in Apulia on “The presence of Greeks in Southern Italy.”
Every year, the winners are invited to Greece for an educational trip during summer.
Magna Græcia (Latin meaning Greater Greece), is the name of the coastal areas on the Tarentine Gulf that was extensively colonized by Greek settlers.
The colonisers, who started arriving in the 8th century BC, brought with them their Hellenic civilization, which was to leave a lasting imprint in the Italian peninsula.
Grecia Salentina: Official Website & Grika milume: www.grikamilume.com
We speak Griko!
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