One of a string of ‘minority’ townships on the northern slopes of the Sila Greca. The others are San Demetrio Corone, San Cosmo, Vaccarizzo and San Giorgio. Common to all are black umbrellas and long black cloaks (men), threadbare finery (women, Sunday only), and their lacklustre appearance. The population descends from 15thC Albanians, driven out by the Turks after the death of their champion Skanderbeg, who put down roots in Calabria and Sicily. They have about 25 villages, a college at San Demetrio, their own Orthodox bishop at Lungri, a newspaper in Albanian and cultural links with Albania itself.