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IN C ONVERSATION WITH C OSIMO
My parents moved from Calabria because there was nothing there. My mom family moved here when she was 12. My father was the first of his family that moved here. After the war there was no food and there was no future there. He came here in the old fashioned way, by boat, walking from his village to Reggio Calabria when he was 17, all by himself. As soon as he settled, he called the whole family and they came here one by one. First off, what’s your connection to Calabria? My connection is one that I inherited. I grew up in a Calabrese family, with Calabrese dialect, Calabrese food, but I had never been to Calabria. So that was my perception of Italy when I was young, through the eyes of Calabrese immigrant parents and relatives. This was up until I was 17. Then I finally made it to Calabria. I didn’t know what to expect. My first stop was in my parents’ small town of San Giorgio Morgeto. It was my first time in Italy, and I was a bit shocked! Cosimo, at the age of 17, shipped his motorcycle to Europe and travelled all over the continent with it. His mother only found out when it was too late.
In what ways was it shocking? Well, it was such a small town: very backwards! To give you an idea, at nighttime it would be mostly men walking up and down the town. This was 30 years ago. I think that now things have changed, at least slightly! But it’s still a very small town. One pizzeria, a few bars, with a lot of very friendly and warm people. Why do you think things are still “rough” in Calabria? Some areas of Calabria are still very poor and undeveloped. This might be due to its location, in the very south of Italy and very far from the rest of Europe. Also, corruption is still very present, making things difficult for its people. It’s unfortunate because it’s very rich in possibilities. The territory is really rich, the land is green and lush. It could grow a lot more, but everything is held back. If I say Calabria, what do you say? Calabrisella mia! [famous Calabrian song] Ahahaha! Calabria… you know… warm, piccante [spicy]! Pure, in the sense that it’s very simple. And very beautiful. <– Sir Vince Mammoliti hunting in Calabria
Calabrese gathering in San Giorgio Morgeto, Calabria in the ‘40s
I can’t even remember how many families lived all under the same roof! When I was little I was living with my cousins and grandparents in the same house, and there were always other people that stayed over.
When we were kids we used to go to all these family gatherings and I remember there were so many kids, from 10-12 families, so there used to always be all this food and wine and the men would be working on something and the women would be cooking.
What is your vision of Calabria in the Italian context? I can say that, as much as it’s undeveloped and held back, one thing that everybody can say about Calabria is that its people are the most friendly and warm! They are really humble and generous; they would bring you into their homes and share whatever they have with you, even if it’s very little. The fact that it’s undeveloped, however, is also the beauty of it. The beaches are very raw, the drive up in the mountains and through the forest — it’s stunning! It’s still very pure and intact.