Calabria, Italian Culture, Italy —

History of Calabria

Posted by

the picture is taken from Pellegrina looking down on the seacosttown of Bagnara Calabra.

As many of you know, my parents (and extended family) were all born in the southern Italian province of Calabria (specifically in a tiny hilltop village called Pellegrina).  The region of Calabria is comprised of mountains, multiple seas, farms, small and large towns, and even a few urban centers.  The history of Calabria is tumultuous and is part of why the Italian region has been so underrepresented in the Italian storybook (afterall, you don’t hear tourists talking about their trip to Reggio or their recent wine and food tasting tour of the Calabrian country side <this is changing, however, and the secret may be getting out!>).

the village of Pellegrina and associated villages.

 

If you’re interested in reading more about Calabria you can quickly read a history of Calabria via Michelle from Bleeding Espresso.  Michelle also has a great book resource page where she highlights books about the Calabrian region (make sure to sort the books by “southern Italy”).

 

In terms of an accessible cookbook on the food of Calabria, I really like Mary Palmer’s Cucina di Calabria.  Not only is Palmer’s book full of easy recipes, there’s also some great content on the history of Calabria, the story of immigration, and the beverages and wine of the region.  New on the market is Rosetta Costantino’s My Calabria which contains many beautiful pictures, recipes, and a historical background on Calabria.
Tags:
  • Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Delicious
  • Digg
Author: Lead Italophile (and/or lover of all things Italian).
  • http://www.providentplan.com Paul Williams

    Wow, Vince! Calabria is beautiful!!! Do you visit there much?

  • http://bleedingespresso.com Michelle | Bleeding Espresso

    Thanks for the mention, Vince! I love Mary’s cookbook too; the little stories with each recipe are so wonderful as well :)

  • http://www.scordo.com vince

    Hi Paul, thanks, Calabria is a very pretty region. We try and visit every few years; I used to go back with my family more often when I was a child. We’re hoping to plan a trip soon!
    Vince

  • http://www.scordo.com Vince

    Hi Michelle,
    My pleasure, i think your history section is well written and really concise! Mary’s book is good and I think she covers the basic really well, the section on wine is nice as well!
    Hope the Spring weather is starting to appear in Calabria.

  • http://www.scordo.com/2010/03/extra-virgin-olive-oil-review-titone-vittoriocassini-laudemia-frantoio.html Scordo.com

    Extra Virgin Olive Oil Review and Vittorio Cassini Giveaway Contest

    (photo: Latella family olive orchard in outside of Pellegrina, Italy) Images have always played a large role in my life.  I still have vivid images in my mind of childhood events like playing hide and seek at dusk on my…

  • Simon

    Vin: interesting links. I had the great fortune to visit Calabria several years ago and it is a remarkable place, with much history and natural beauty.

  • http://www.bestespressomachineunder500.com Espresso

    Wow, Calabria looks great. Those are some of the nicer pictures I have seen in sometime.

  • http://www.scordo.com/2010/11/recipe-roasted-rabbit-or-con-pomodoro-cipolla-vino-e-le-erbe.html Scordo.com

    Recipe: Roasted Rabbit or Coniglio Con Pomodoro, Cipolla, Vino, e Le Erbe

    From a culinary perspective, I’m always surprised by what one culture find appealing and another finds foreign and strange.  For example, in parts of Sicilia consuming raw snails is thought to fight gastrointestinal disorders and in Tuscany (and …

  • http://www.scordo.com/2010/11/the-italian-life-and-culture-photos-of-life-in-calabria.html Scordo.com

    The Italian Life and Culture: Photos of Life in Calabria

    (photo: by Piero Morello.  Children in Calabrian classroom.) One of the great appeals of living in a country like Italy is that daily life is truly enjoyed.  That is to say, a stroll by the sea, a day hunting…

  • http://www.scordo.com/2011/01/pancetta-bacon-and-cured-pork-at-home-italian-bacon.html Italian Food and Recipes – Scordo.com

    Pancetta, Bacon, and Cured Pork Perfection

    (photo: locally produced bacon from a nearby butcher) By now, you’ve read my countless references to salame, prosciutto, capicola, cured pork, etc. and you may be thinking: what’s wrong with this guy, does he have a thing for pigs or…

  • http://www.scordo.com/2011/02/pickled-wild-mushrooms-recipe.html Italian Food and Recipes – Scordo.com

    Pickled Wild Mushrooms Recipe

    For as long as I can remember my father has foraged for wild mushrooms both here in the United States and, of course, in Calabria.  And while my mother would use the mushrooms in pasta sauces and fried with…

  • http://www.scordo.com/2011/02/the-five-things-i-love-about-calabria-southern-italy-italian-life.html Italian Food and Recipes – Scordo.com

    The Five Things I Love About Calabria and the Italian Life

    (photo: thanks to a wonderful photographer from Calabria, Piero Morello) By now you know my connection to Calabria and my familiar, immigrant, story. You know, for example, my parents immigrated to the U.S. from a tiny hilltop village in southwest…

  • http://www.scordo.com/2011/05/the-italian-deli-and-creminelli-artisan-salumi-meats-salami-salame.html Italian Food and Recipes – Scordo.com

    The Italian Deli and Creminelli’s Artisan Meats

    The Working Life and the Italian DeliI’ve held many odd jobs as a young lad including garbage man, janitor, landscaper, handy man assistant, electrician’s assistant, travel agent, HTML editor, maintenance man at a woman’s clothing shop, and, my person…

  • http://www.scordo.com/2011/05/the-environment-and-the-italian-life.html Italian Food and Recipes – Scordo.com

    The Environment and the Italian Life

    (photo: beach in Calabria, by Piero Morello)   I remember the first time I visited my then girlfriend at her college campus in the state of Indiana and the thought of my lovely sweetheart in all of her collegiate glory…

  • http://www.scordo.com/2011/06/dan-amatuzzis-italian-wine-guide-introduction.html Italian Food and Recipes – Scordo.com

    Dan Amatuzzi’s Italian Wine for the Student Review and Book Giveaway

     (photo: the cover of Dan Amatuzzi’s excellent Italian wine guide and a photo of the Dan at OTTO in NYC)A Student of Italian Wine Dan Amatuzzi is a modest guy when it comes to wine.  For example, Dan has served as…

  • http://www.scordo.com/2011/08/returning-from-calabria-italian-living-as-art.html Italian Food and Recipes – Scordo.com

    Returning From Calabria: Italian Living as Art

    (photo: an ancient olive tree on the family olive orchard)Driving on the A3 autostrada from the Reggio Calabria airport to the village of Pellegrina (a tiny Comune di Bagnara Calabria) my mood changes instantly.  I’m greeted by a penetrating sun,…

  • http://www.scordo.com/2010/03/8-tips-to-make-great-pasta-at-home-italian.html Italian Food and Recipes – Scordo.com

    8 Tips to Make Great Pasta at Home: From My Childhood Block in New Jersey

     (photo: spaghetti with peas, ricotta, and tomato sauce)  Growing up in Northern NJ on a densely packed block full of immigrant families (mostly from Calabria) both Thursday and Sunday were special days.  That is to say, for ma…

  • http://www.scordo.com/2009/09/recipe-roasted-whole-chicken-barbeque-bell-evans.html Italian Food and Recipes – Scordo.com

    Recipe: Roasted Butterflied Chicken on the Barbeque

    (photo: a freshly butterflied whole chicken with lemon zest, Kosher salt, and ground black pepper) One of the earliest food memories I have is of Nonna Vincenzina slaughtering a young chicken on Via Nazionale in Calabria.  Nonna simply walked into…

  • http://www.scordo.com/2011/10/chiappetta-extra-virgin-olive-oil-from-calabria-cosenza.html Italian Food and Recipes – Scordo.com

    Chiappetta Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Calabria

    (photo: bottle of 500 ml Chiappetta Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Calabria, courtesy of Chiappetta web site)Located just north of Cosenza in Calabria, San Vincenzo La Costa is a comune made up of small villages including San Vincenzo, Gesuiti, …

  • http://www.scordo.com/2012/01/wild-fennel-seed-semi-di-finocchietto-selvatico-fennel-seeds.html Italian Food and Recipes – Scordo.com

    Wild Fennel Seed (Semi di Finocchietto Selvatico)

    (photo: Wild Fennel Seed (Semi di Finocchietto Selvatico) from Sicilia; you can use the seed as is or crush it via a mortar and pestle for savory and sweet dishes)Wild fennel, or Finocchietto Selvatico, can be found throughout…

  • http://www.scordo.com/2012/02/15-simple-italian-food-and-wine-pairings.html Italian Food and Recipes – Scordo.com

    15 Simple Italian Food and Wine Pairings

    (photo: a seafood feast from a local trattoria in Calabria, including sardine, swordfish, cod, octopus, etc.)When it comes to wine and food we’re big believers in two things: 1., if possible, try to map the ingredients of a given…

  • Pingback: Scordo – Italian Food and RecipesPrickly Pears of Calabria Fichi d'India

  • Pingback: Scordo – Italian Food and RecipesGrowing Figs

  • Pingback: Scordo – Italian Food and Recipespesto tuna salad

  • Pingback: Iurry Massimo

  • Tony Molinaro

    I love Calabria as well because it’s where my family originated from. Mum is from Cosenza province and Dad is from Catanzaro province. I myself was born and live in Australia. I was last in Calabria 14 years ago but did not understand or know anything about its “REAL” history until the last several years. The things that I have learned about Calabria’s history is just amazing and astonishing. For example, does anyone realize that Calabria gave Italy its name ?? Yes, it’s true folks. Look at this link and read about the history to see that I am right about this:
    http://www.esteri.it/MAE/EN/Ministero/Servizi/Benvenuti_in_Italia/Conoscere_Italia/Guida_Regioni/Calabria.htm
    (link is from Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
    Calabria’s history was mainly influenced by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Swabians, Angevins and the Aragonese. It most famous people are a who’s who of historical figures that have contributed to Italian, European and world history. Get to know the real history of Calabria and not this rubbish that is thrown by the northern Italians and the modern media. Oh, and by the way, there is a book called “Calabria the first Italy” by Gertrude Slaughter which was published in 1939. I have a copy of this book and it is a real eye opener. Though it is difficult to get copies of this book but I tell you something, try to get a copy. You won’t be sorry.

    • http://www.scordo.com/ Scordo.com

      Thank you!