| Much of Southern Italy was colonised by Greeks | | | | various pieces of music and songs, both modern |
| 2500 years ago, and these areas form what we | | | | day and traditional, e.g. Mari by Neapolitan artist |
| still know today as Magna Grecia (Greater | | | | Nino D'Angelo. Traditional Southern Italian and |
| Greece). As a result, Southern Italy became a | | | | Greek music both use similar instruments such as |
| centre of Greek culture, music, and language for | | | | the mandolino (similar to the Greek bouzouki) and |
| hundreds of years. Greece has in the past also | | | | tamburello (tambourine), which is the most |
| been occupied by Romans and Italians. To this | | | | important percussion instrument in Italy's music |
| day, we can see the Greek influence in Italy, and | | | | tradition. The 'tamburello' was originally introduced |
| Italian influence in Greece, through architecture, | | | | via Greek influence in South Italy, and also |
| music, food and language. Naples, for example, | | | | through the Arabic influence in Sicily.The tarantella |
| was a city founded by the Greeks, and it's name | | | | is a famous traditional Southern Italian dance and |
| derives from the Greek Nea Polis (New City). | | | | is directly related to the ritual of the cult of |
| Naples was also a Greek speaking town until the | | | | Dionysus (the patron god of wine) of Ancient |
| 9th century BC. It is an ancient Greek city, with a | | | | Greece. It is named after the tarantula spider. In |
| 'secret abandoned' underground city, where there | | | | around the 16th and 17th centuries, people were |
| are many original city walls, and even a | | | | poisoned by deadly tarantula bites from the |
| Greek-Roman theatre where the famous | | | | Lycosa Tarantula, and it was believed that they |
| Emperor Nero used to perform opera! The | | | | could only be cured by frenetic dancing. The |
| underground city can be visited on guided tours | | | | dance would start on a regular beat and then |
| organised by Napoli Sottoteranea -'Napoli | | | | gradually speed up. The victim works themselves |
| Underground'. In Piazza Bellini in the centre, you | | | | into a 'trance' and dance in a state of ecstasy so |
| can also see some Greek ruins of the original | | | | much so until they were exhausted. Once they |
| city.Agrigento, Sicily, is famous for Valle dei Templi | | | | reached exhaustion and slowed down it would be |
| (Valley of Temples), one of the most important | | | | taken as a sign that they had been cured. There |
| archelogical sites in the world, and is a UNESCO | | | | is obviously a lot of Greek influence on the history |
| World Heritage site. There are many Doric Greek | | | | and music in the Magnia Grecia areas where Griko |
| temples just outside the main centre of | | | | and Greacanic is spoken. |
| Agrigento, including Temple of Hercules, Temple | | | | Greek and Southern Italian cuisine do share many |
| of Zeus and Temple of Concord.The Sicilian town | | | | similarities. Primarily, this is due to the fact that |
| of Siracusa was also an ancient Greek town. The | | | | they are two areas of the Mediterranean situated |
| Greeks arrived here in 734BC and named the | | | | very near each other, sharing similar climates and |
| small Island of Ortigia in Siracusa after 'ortgyia', | | | | soils...as a result they use and grow similar |
| the Greek word for 'quail', as it was 'quail shaped'. | | | | products, e.g. olives and olive oil, aubergines, |
| (how did they know what it looked like from | | | | courgettes, peppers, garlic and tomatoes. This in |
| above...?) They also built various temples, such as | | | | turn results in similar dishes and recipes. There is |
| the Temple of Apollo in the central Piazza Pancali, | | | | also however Greek influence in some Southern |
| and the Temple of Athena. They also built the | | | | Italian cuisine and vice versa, due to historical |
| Arethusa fountain, named after the legendary | | | | factors; Greek occupation in Southern Italy, and |
| nymph of Arethusa, which is now a 'hangout' for | | | | Roman occupation in Greece. For example, when |
| local youngsters. Also, inland from the main | | | | the Romans occupied Greece, many Greek tutors |
| Siracusa centre, they built the biggest theatre in | | | | were employed by rich Roman families for their |
| Sicily. | | | | children as well as Greek chefs for their |
| With many areas of Southern Italy speaking | | | | kitchens...Other dishes to be compared, are the |
| Greek for many years, (Naples was Greek | | | | Neapolitan dish Parmigiana to the Greeks' |
| speaking until the 9th century) it's no surprise that | | | | Moussaka , (both dishes include layering similar |
| there is some Greek influence to be found in | | | | ingredients such as aubergines, tomato sauce and |
| some accents or dialects in the South. Admittedly | | | | cheese), Pepperonata from Campania with the |
| the Greek language on the whole is very | | | | Greeks' salata me psites piperies , (a charred |
| different, but there are a few words that still | | | | pepper salad with olives), and Campania's |
| remain.With the Romans also having occupied | | | | melanzane a scarpetta (also know as melanzane a |
| Greece, some words also may have been | | | | barchetta) to the Greeks' melitzanes papoutsakia |
| brought into the Greek language by the | | | | (stuffed aubergine halves- the Italian scarpetta |
| Romans.....Griko and Graecanic are languages | | | | and Greek papoutsakia mean 'shoes' referring to |
| spoken by the Italians living in the Bovesia Calabria | | | | how they look ). |
| region, and could be described as an Italian-Greek | | | | It is no wonder, then, that Italians and Greeks |
| pidgin languages. These languages are dying out, | | | | have a saying "Una Faccia Una Razza" |
| and there has been a law brought in to protect | | | | (pronounced una fatsa una razza in Greek)! ( |
| them, although some believe it may be too late. | | | | Translated literally, it means "one face one race" |
| Greek, Arabic and Spanish influence on Southern | | | | and refers to similarities and history that Greece |
| Italian music can be heard from listening to | | | | and Italy. |