The village where Calabrian Greek is still spoken
On a rocky spur of the Aspromonte, at about 900 metres, overlooking the Ionian Sea and, on clear days, Etna, Bova is a village of stone houses, one of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia", and the cultural capital of the Bovesia, the "Area Grecanica", a small area of southern Calabria where a community still speaks Grecanico, or Calabrian Greek, an ancient Greek dialect called "greko" by its speakers. Its origin is debated: some scholars believe it descends directly from the language of the Greek colonies of Magna Graecia, others from the Byzantine Greek of the Middle Ages, but in any case it is one of the oldest linguistic minorities in Europe, today spoken by a small number of people, mostly elderly, and protected by Italian law.
In Bova, road signs are bilingual, in Italian and Greek, and the Museo della Lingua Greco-Calabra "Gerhard Rohlfs", dedicated to the German linguist who studied the language, tells the history and culture of this community. The village, once the seat of a bishop, preserves the cathedral, the ruins of a Norman castle on the top of the rock, from which the view is splendid, and, curiously, an old steam locomotive in a square, a monument to the railway workers of the area. The surrounding area, with other Grecanic villages such as Gallicianò, Roghudi and Condofuri, is crossed by beautiful trails, such as the "Sentiero dell'Inglese", which follows the route taken in 1847 by the English writer and painter Edward Lear through the Aspromonte. In summer, the festival "Paleariza" celebrates Grecanic music and culture.
Tip: ask the locals a few words in Grecanico; combine Bova with Pentedattilo and the Grecanic villages.
Where it is
More things to see in Calabria
Where to stay near Bova
Tours and activities nearby
Offers from GetYourGuide. Some links are affiliate links: if you book we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.