 As evidenced by the above Greek place names, Bova Marina is one of the places where the Greek–Calabrian dialect is still spoken, a remnant of the ancient Greek colonization of Magna Graecia (South Italy and Sicily).In 1983, during excavations for roadwork, the ruins of the Bova Marina Synagogue were discovered.This is the second oldest confirmed site of a synagogue in Italy, the oldest being the ancient synagogue of Ostia Antica near Rome.