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This work deals with a portion of the Variscan lower to intermediate crust exposed in the Palmi area (SW Calabria, Italy). It mainly consists of amphibole-bearing tonalite and migmatitic paragneiss. The latter shows a peak metamorphic assemblage of biotite, K-feldspar, garnet, sillimanite and cordierite. Gabbros occur as foliated, decimeter-thick layers within the migmatites and as a decametric main body adjacent to the paragneiss. No contacts are exposed between the migmatites and the gabbro body, which is mainly weakly foliated and fine-grained, even though unfoliated, coarse-grained portions rarely occur. The gabbros overall contain plagioclase (An 89-80) frequently developing triple junctions, amphibole, biotite, and accessory zircon+ ilmenite±allanite. Minor quartz is present in the gabbro layers within the paragneiss. Amphibole consists of cummingtonite grading into hornblende on the rims and retains some relic cleavage from a pyroxene predecessor.

Major and trace element mineral data in tandem with U-Pb zircon dating of the gabbro were examined to achieve information about:(i) the chemical effects triggered by the migration of migmatite-related melts into lower mafic crust, and (ii) their relationship with grain size and foliation variation.