In its 5th edition, consistent with its nomadic character, Primariolia Festival 2023 travels to the historical center of primarolia* and is hosted in the emblematic Villa Kolla of the great Corinthian black currant merchant Michael Kollas (1828), an architectural jewel of the Corinthian black currant era, now part of the campus of University of Patras. A local specialty with international tendencies, the Corinthian black currant highlighted both an early ubiquity product of taste and culture and a parallel ubiquity network of interactions in Europe and the world.

Decoding the codes of communication from the heyday of the Corinthian black currant, the festival explores the contemporary codes of research and highlights the cultural heritage of the city, through a series of events: an international exhibition of contemporary art, conferences and talk panels, workshops, collaborations and concerts.

Primarolia festival 2023 is organized by the Primarolia Organisation NGCP in co-organization with the Department of Tourism Management of the University of Patras within the framework of the memorandum of cooperation between the University of Patras and the Primarolia Organization, under the auspices and support of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.

*Primarolia

The Corinthian black currant was distinguished by high quality, a characteristic that made the product very valuable abroad. Patras, Aigio, Corinth, Kiato, Katakolo, Zakynthos, Lixouri and Kalamata were some of the ports that used to be fiiled up with the Corinthian black currant.

The first ships with the new harvest and the best quality of the Corinthian black currant, the Primarolia, used to depart with celebrations, headed to the ports and markets of Europe. Liverpool, London, Trieste, Marseille, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Odessa welcomed the so-called “treasure of Greece”, creating a network of sea routes of the Corinthian black currant.