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 hero Philoctetes, mentioned by historical sources (Strabo, Apollodorus, Lycophron). 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 valley Vitravo, starting an intense colonisation 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.[4]
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.
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 name Palaios Chorion ("old settlement"). Others derive it from the Albanian name (Puheriu), from Puhe e ri ("New Puhe") referring to a possible settlement in Albania with the same name. The last one is still derived from the Arbereshe dialect: Pucciur e riut (Kissed from the wind), referring to the geographical position.[8]
Ancient Portal of the Piazza Rattazzi (Rattazi Square)
Culture
Events in the village include:
Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (second Sunday of May)[8]
St. Lucy's Day
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 flourgnocchis dipped in honey and must.[8]
^G. Gasca Queirazza, C. Mercato, etc. (1996), Dizionario di toponomastica : storia e significato dei nomi geografici italiani, Milano: Garzanti, p. 470, ISBN9788811305002, OCLC718439728{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)