Location and geographical context

Bagaladi is a village in the Grecanic area located at the foot of Mount Sant’Angelo, in the territory of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria. It has 700 inhabitants and is one of the main entrances to the Aspromonte National Park. The village extends into the lush Tuccio Valley, in an environment characterized by centuries-old olive groves, mineral waters and a strong historical and cultural identity.

 

Historical notes and origins of the name

The origins of the town date back to the 10th century, with the development of numerous Basilian monasteries in the area: San Teodoro, San Fantino, San Michele and Sant’Angelo. The village is historically mentioned in the Angevin era as a fief of the Archimandrite of SS. Salvatore of Messina, and subsequently linked to the Barony of Amendolea, to the Marullo, to the Abenavoli and to the Ruffo as “vicus” of San Lorenzo.

The name Bagaladi has an uncertain but fascinating etymology. According to one interpretation, it derives from the Arabic "Baha' Allah" ("the beauty that comes from God"), then transmigrated into the form Bagalà - still a widespread surname today - with the addition of the suffix -adi, typical of the Calabrian Greek language to indicate belonging. Other scholars link it to the expression "valley of oil", a combination of Greek and Latin roots, in reference to the centuries-old olive-growing vocation of the village.

 

Oil and rural identity

Bagaladi has been known for centuries for the production of an extra virgin olive oil of the highest quality, which has represented the main source of sustenance for the local population. This tradition is celebrated in the Frantoio Iacopino, now home to the Oil Museum and a symbolic place of the village. It is one of the first oil mills in Calabria to have used water as a driving force.

The museum also hosts craft demonstrations, including loom weaving and clay processing. It is possible to take part in guided tours to the ancient Italo-Greek monasteries, thanks to the collaboration with the Aspromonte Park.

 

Religious and artistic heritage

Among the main places of worship and artistic interest are:

• the Church of the Santissima Annunziata, which houses a 10th-century Byzantine cross and the marble group of the Annunciation attributed to Antonello Gagini;

• the Church of San Teodoro Martire, patron saint of the village, celebrated on November 9;

• the Basilian monasteries of the Tuccio Valley, true founding nuclei of the territory;

• the water mills, the rural farmhouses and the characteristic “Mulineddu”, a 19th-century oil mill now in disuse.

 

The Tuccio Valley

The Tuccio Valley, where Bagaladi is located, is one of the symbolic places of the Greek-Orthodox heritage of Calabria. Here we find names of places, saints and toponyms of Byzantine origin, such as Chorio, Musupuniti, San Fantino and San Pantaleone. This landscape, crossed by the Melito river – which the geographer al-Idrisi defined as “the river of honey” – is a combination of history, nature and spirituality.

 

Emigration and memory

In the twentieth century, Bagaladi was a lively center of the Aspromonte, but wars and emigration reduced the population. Many Bagaladesi moved to Reggio Calabria, northern Italy and abroad (France, Germany, North America). Despite this, the community maintains strong identity ties with its roots and traditions.