According to the first theory, developed by Giuseppe Morosi in 1870,[17] Griko originated from the Hellenistic Koine when in the Byzantine era [...] waves of immigrants arrived from Greece to Salento.

Some decades after Morosi, Gerhard Rohlfs, in the wake of Hatzidakis,[citation needed] claimed instead that Griko was a local variety evolved directly from the ancient Greek.

Although most Greek inhabitants of Southern Italy were Italianized and absorbed by the local Romance-speaking population over the centuries,[19] the Griko community has been able to preserve their original Greek identity, heritage, language and distinct culture,[12][14] although exposure to mass media has progressively eroded their culture and language.

[20] A recent study on the genetics of Calabrian Greeks from Aspromonte found them to be isolated and distinct from other populations of southern Italy.

Some towns that have lost the knowledge of the Griko tongue include the cities of Cardeto, Montebello, San Pantaleone and Santa Caterina in Calabria.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century today's nine Greek-speaking cities of the Grecía Salentina area along with Sogliano Cavour, Cursi, Cannole and Cutrofiano formed part of the Decatría Choría (τα Δεκατρία Χωρία)[25] the thirteen cities of Terra d'Otranto who preserved the Greek language and traditions.

482 of 1999, the Italian parliament recognized the Griko communities of Reggio Calabria and Salento as a Greek ethnic and linguistic minority.

This states that the Republic protects the language and culture of its Albanian, Catalan, Germanic, Greek, Slovene, and Croat populations, and of those who speak French, Provençal, Friulian, Ladin, Occitan, and Sardinian.

[53] The Greek settlements were so densely collected there that during the Classical period the region came to be called Magna Graecia (Greater Greece).

During the Early Middle Ages, following the disastrous Gothic War, new waves of Greeks came to Magna Graecia from Greece and Asia Minor,[citation needed] as Southern Italy remained loosely governed by the Byzantine Empire.

Moreover, the Byzantines would have found in Southern Italy people of common cultural roots, the Greek-speaking eredi ellenofoni of Magna Graecia[citation needed].

The Greek language never died out entirely in southern Italy, although the area in which it was spoken was significantly reduced by the progression of Latin.

[55] Records of Magna Graecia being predominantly Greek-speaking, date as late as the eleventh century[citation needed] (the end of Byzantine domination in Southern Italy).

Around the end of the Middle Ages, large parts of Calabria, Lucania, Salento, and Sicily continued to speak Greek as their mother tongue.

The revival of attention is also due to the pioneering work of the German linguist and philologist Gerhard Rohlfs, who contributed much to the documentation and preservation of the Griko language.

Professor Ernesto Aprile of Calimera viewed his community support for preservation and growth of Griko poetry, history, and performance as a civic responsibility until his death in 2008, and published multiple monographs on the subject for local and national dissemination, acting as recognized—but unofficial—ambassador to visitors and dignitaries to Calimera and the sea-side sections of Melendugno nearby.

Also, influential Greek artists such as George Dalaras, Dionysis Savvopoulos, Marinella, Haris Alexiou and Maria Farantouri have performed in the Griko language.

Every summer in Melpignano, a small town of Salento, there is the famous Notte della Taranta festival, it is attended by thousands of young people dancing all night to the tune of Pizzica and Griko Salentino dialect.

[20] Other music groups of Griko music include, from Salento: Agrikò, Argalìo, Arakne Mediterranea, Astèria, Atanathon, Avleddha, Briganti di Terra d'Otranto, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino, Officina Zoè, Ghetonia; from Calabria: Astaki, Nistanimera, Stella del Sud, Ta scipòvlita; and from Greece: Encardia.

In 1093 the Norman King Roger attempted to install a Latin archbishop over the overwhelmingly Greek population of Rossano, however this was a complete failure,[84] a revolt took place in favour of restoring the Byzantine rite.