#calabrians

Southern Italy’s Calabria - The Echo of An Era Past

by  Francesca Spizzirri

Carefully tucked away in an envelope with my mother’s belongings is a photo of her as a young woman. She is leaning against a terrace. Behind her, the sun is setting over the azure waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, its fiery glow illuminating Santa Maria dell’Isola, a fairytale-like church perched on a rocky promontory. Growing up, I would sit and stare at this picture, fascinated by the view and by the rare glimpse it provided into my mother’s past.

It’s the beginning of summer and the clifftop town of Tropea is abuzz with locals gathered along its atmospheric streets. A mix of architectural styles pay homage to past empires - Greeks, Normans, Byzantines and Bourbons have all left their collective influence. I spot an empty chair and take my place amid the old palaces that once housed Italy’s noble families, now an inspiring backdrop for alfresco dining. I order an Aperol Spritz and turn to watch a young woman in a floral dress amble across the cobbled-stones, her brown locks bouncing with every step. In an instant, she disappears into the crowd taking their evening passeggiata.

“Signora, your drink!”

I take a sip while watching a group of diners raise their glasses in a toast, the sound of their Calabrese dialect is old, yet familiar. Memories arrive like the encroaching twilight and carry me away to family gatherings in Toronto, Canada, to a time when homemade wine flowed freely along with tales of childhood in southern Italy. The fisarmonica (Italian accordion) accompanied everyone as they sang along to old folk songs, their smiling faces tinged with nostalgia. Decades later, Calabria, the “toe” of Italy’s boot, still echoes of an era past.