The
Griko people sometimes spelled
Grico,
Greco in Calabria, and also known as
Grecanici are an
ethnic Greek community of
Southern Italy, they are found principally in regions of Calabria (
Province of Reggio Calabria) and Apulia (peninsula of
Salento). The Griko are believed to be remnants of the once large
Ancient and
Medieval Greek communities of southern Italy (the old
Magna Graecia region). Greek people have been living in Southern Italy for millennia, initially arriving in Southern Italy in numerous waves of migrations, from the ancient Greek
colonisation of Southern Italy and
Sicily in the 8th century BC through to the
Byzantine Greek migrations of the 15th century caused by the
Ottoman conquest. In the Middle Ages Greek regional communities were reduced to isolated enclaves. Although most Greek inhabitants of Southern Italy have become entirely
Italianized over the centuries, the Griko community has been able to preserve their original Greek identity, heritage, language and distinct culture (15% of the surnames in the province of
Reggio di Calabria have a Greek origin), although exposure to mass media has progressively eroded their culture and language.