The village and the surrounding area have been inhabited since the Neolithic; there are numerous caves scattered in the territory, including the so-called "Cave of St. Maurice" of palaeontological interest. In the second millennium BC, the area was settled by the Oenotrian-Italic population of the Chone, who left traces of their presence both in toponyms and with devotional objects found throughout the area. Archaeological remains from the early 1st millennium are found all over the area surrounding the town. It is speculated that the area was the seat of Chone, the city Italic-Hellenic founded in Mycenaean age by Greek heroPhiloctetes, mentioned by historical sources. Archaeological finds include Italic-Hellenic walls, amphorae, tombs and the remains of an ancient necropolis with votive statues related to the Orphic cult. Between the 7th and 5th century BC, Greek colonists arrived here, as testified by numerous remains and again by toponyms of Greek origin. In Roman times, Latin colonists settled in the area overlooking the village, along the river valleyVitravo, starting an intense colonization of the land. In the Middle Ages, the village, concentrated in the districts of "Valle" and "Cucinaro", took the name of "San Giovanni in Palagorio". It had a few hundred inhabitants, mostly farmers, depending from the feudal lords of Umbriatico. Around the mid-15th century, Albanian-Greek mercenaries from Epirus and Peloponnese under the guidance of Demetrio Reres settled the area after having fought in the war between the Angevins and Aragonese. Since the end of the 17th century, the village was the subject of an intense and continuous migration of people attracted by the fertility of the land, and the mild climate. The village was a fief of the Spinelli finally until the end of the century, then it went to Rovegno, who held it to the end of the 18th century. After the events of the Napoleonic Wars, it became an independent town in 1834. Next, it followed the fate of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. Until the mid-17th century the village preserved the use of Byzantine Rite in addition to the Catholic Rite. The village still retains the Arbëreshë language, in addition to the Calabrian dialect.
Etymology
Hypothesis on the origins of the name are various. One is that the current village is located near the ruins of a pre-existing fortress-town, whence the Greek namePalaios Chorion. Others derive it from the Albanian name, from Puhe e ri referring to a possible settlement in Albania with the same name. The last one is still derived from the Arbereshe dialect: Pucciur e riut, referring to the geographical position.
Christmas, for which a special desserts are prepared: culumolli, a doughnut style pastry fried in oil; xhurxhullea, a type of Turrón made with sesame seeds and almonds worked with honey and covered in colored sugar ornaments; bukunotet, a kind of dumpling filled up with marmalade or ricotta cheese and covered with powder sugar; and krustullit, a type of big egg, milk, and flour gnocchis dipped in honey and must.
