 The area now known as Fondachelli-Fantina always has been quite isolated.Even today, the long, winding road connecting the municipality to the Ionian coast can become impassable during the winter.However, this insularity has aided in preserving the Gallo-Sicilian language, a remnant of the period during the Swabian-Norman domination (1061–1266) when people from Northern Italy migrated to the area.