A person or
people from Calabria in Sicily, whom Italians feel are the stubbornest people in the world.
The old tale goes like this:
Jesus was walking down a road when he came upon a
man from Calabria. He asked the
man, "Where are you going?", and the
man replied "God or no God, I go to Calabria". So Jesus turned him to stone for a
day.
The next day Jesus came back, restored the
man to his original form and asked the same question, "Where are you going?", and the
man replied "God or no God, I go to Calabria". So Jesus turned him to stone for a week.
This went on for a month, a year, 5 years, 10 and then 20 years, all with the same results. Finally Jesus threw his hands in the air and said, "There is no gourd thicker than the skull of a Calabrese" and he allowed him to complete his journey.