Bova Marina

Bova Marina (Calabrian Greek: Jalò tu Vùa) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about 120 kilometres (75 mi) southwest of Catanzaro and about 30 kilometres (19 mi) southeast of Reggio Calabria. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 3,870 and an area of 29.5 square kilometres (11.4 sq mi). The municipality of Bova Marina contains the frazioni (subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets) Mesofugna (Greek: Mesofonè), Amigdalà (Greek: Amygdalià), Borgo, Centro, Costa dei Saraceni, Apambero (Greek: Apambyros), and San Pasquale. Bova Marina borders the following municipalities: Bova, Condofuri, Palizzi. As evidenced by the above Greek place names, Bova Marina is one of the places where is still spoken the Greek–Calabrian dialect - remnant of the ancient Greek coloniaztion of Magna Graecia, i.e. South Italy and Sicily. In 1983, during excavations for roadwork, the ruins of the Bova Marina Synagogue were discovered in Bova Marina. This is the second oldest confirmed site of a synagogue in Italy, the oldest being the ancient synagogue of Ostia Antica near Rome. Parts of the ancient mosaic floor are still intact, which display ancient Jewish symbols, such as the menorah and Solomon's knot. Demographic evolution References External links www.comune.bovamarina.rc.it/ New York Times article about the discovery of the Bova Marina synagogue