The Ionian Foothills - Palermiti

This municipality is located along the Ionian foothills.

Palermiti, a town with a fictional origin

Palermiti (m 496) is the first village crossed by the road that among the olive groves connects Squillace to Chiaravalle Centrale, pandering to the undulations at the foot of the Calabrian Serre. First curiosity, the name, which tells the singular story of a group of Sicilian outcasts, Palermitans to be precise. It was in the early sixteenth century and they found themselves in need of a change of scenery, likely fleeing some feud or religious persecution. Facultative families of merchants, who were granted the concession to choose a place in a dominant position to give themselves a new homeland - Palermiti, the town of the Palermitani - a circumstance that makes it unique in the scenario of the area.

A fateful event between faith and legend: the Madonna of Light

The visit begins with the Chiesa Matrice, towering over the town from its highest point. Dedicated to St. Nicholas the Bishop, it holds the venerated fresco of the so-called Madonna of Light, at the center of a miraculous event that took place in 1720 in a locality in the countryside known as Murorotto. How the sacred image, discovered by chance and disputed among neighboring municipalities, finally landed here has that romance of tales to be heard with the support of faith. In fact, it is said that after a long wandering among the various towns, having arrived that they were in Palermiti the oxen of the wagon carrying the image got stuck, manifesting without appeal the divine will.

Not to be missed: celebrations and illuminations for Our Lady of Light.

Having listened to the tale, we leave the village and on the wings of strong popular devotion with a few hairpin bends we reach the modern shrine of Madonna della Luce, the fulcrum of the patronal celebrations held at two times of the year: on July 2, the Festa piccola ('a hesta picciula); on the last Sunday of August, the Festa grande ('a hesta randa), with all the repertoire between sacred and profane that is proper to these occasions.

Bread, local pride in the tastiest of festivals

Palermiti has a solid bread tradition, still supported by artisan bakeries, and a specific square event, Pane e Calatura. The action evoked by the title is that of 'lowering' into the loaf the best the place has to offer, starting with those cured meats from that black pig of the Serre recently made a comeback.