In 1638, in Tiriolo, a bronze tablet dating back to 186 B.C. was unearthed. On it, the Roman Senate forbade celebrations in honor of Bacchus throughout the surrounding territory.

As one might imagine, Bacchic rites were anything but moderate. Yet it was not excess that troubled Rome, but rather the gatherings themselves: crowds that often became the setting for conspiracies against central power.

In Calabria at that time lived the Bruttians, a people fiercely opposed to Rome, who made their military strength and their thirst for independence and freedom the foundation of their greatness. They resisted Rome for a long time, allying with its greatest enemies, until they lost all their territory, but never their spirit of independence nor their refusal to belong to Rome.

And so, 2,200 years later, in Tiriolo that ancient legacy comes alive once more every summer. Defying the Roman ban, the town celebrates Bacchus with two uninterrupted days of music, wine, and traditional flavors.

The narrow streets and the main square fill with tastings, songs, and dances, alternating moments of festivity with reflection and sharing. A costumed parade winds its way through the historic center, culminating at the top of the village, where the view embraces both the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas in a single breathtaking panorama.

And since this festival was born as an act of resistance, even today—between raised glasses and dancing—there is no forgetting those who still resist.

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