Donna Renza

For many years, Renza, midwife of a small ancient village in Magna Graecia, on the Calabrian coasts, better known by all as “Mamma Renza”, had seen entire generations of her fellow villagers come to light, whom she was the first to welcome to the world, with care and gentleness, with the same love with which she had given birth to her eleven children.

In the 1960s, two spouses, originally from Verona, chose the coast of the Ionian Sea to spend their summer holidays there and in their stay they came across that village, where they were able to hear how recurrent the rumors about “Mamma Renza” were which everyone devoted sincere appreciation.

Intrigued by such benevolence, they decided to meet her, so they asked for directions to reach her home and arrived there they became passionate about her stories of her life, full of joy and hope. Comforted by those words, they shared their love story with her, sadly confiding to her the great sorrow and torment of her for having learned from her doctors that they could not crown their union with the seal of a son. Moved by the tears of her bride, Renza took her hand and leaning it against his belly, whispered in a decisive tone: “Have faith!”.

After the holiday, the couple returned to Verona and shortly after, with great amazement and joy, the woman discovered that she was pregnant. Grateful and certain that with her gesture, Renza, had heralded the miracle of that unexpected pregnancy of her, they invited her to their city, so that she could witness the birth of her long-desired child.

In her honor, the couple, who finally became a family, dedicated their house to her, which has since been called “VILLA RENZA”.