REGGIO CALABRIA
Reggio Calabria is a city on the coast of Calabria, right on the 'toe' of southern Italy, separated from Sicily by the Strait of Messina. Situated on the foothills of the Aspromonte mountain range that runs up through the centre of the region, it is the third most important economic hub in southern Italy, with a population of over 200,000.
A brief history of Reggio Calabria
The ancient history of Reggio Calabria begins in around 2000 BC, and it became a Greek colony in the 8th century. Its name was 'Reghion', which in Greek means 'to separate with force', referring to the geological crack that led to the formation of the strait between the city and Sicily. Reggio Calabria was a prosperous city for Magna Graecia and later ruled by the Romans. In Byzantine times, it was a great metropolis invaded by the Normans and Swabians, Anjous and Aragonese and destroyed several times by earthquakes in 1562 and 1783. Then it became part of the Kingdom of Naples and after the Kingdom of Two Sicilies and finally, part of Italy!
In 1908 there was another great earthquake, and the city was rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style only to be damaged heavily by bombing in World War II. Reggio developed significantly during the 20th century, but in the early 1970s, it was in the grip of various mafia-related gangs and corruption in the city administration, which caused significant social and economic problems for the city. Today, there is a newly formed public administration, and many measures have been put in place to prevent large scale corruption and mafia activity in the city. The city now mainly relies on tourism and has cleaned up its act, the town now prides itself on good food, history and culture to attract holidaymakers.
Things to do in Reggio Calabria
The Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia, is an ancient history museum in the centre of the city. It houses an archaeological collection from sites all over Magna Grecia, or southern Italy. Established in 1882, it has built up an impressive array of artefacts including two large, well preserved Riace bronzes. The Aragonese Castle is also a remarkable piece of history, commissioned by Ferdinando I of Aragon, but modified to expand its size and grandeur in 1458. It's also enjoyable to take a stroll along the Lungomare Falcomatà to admire the views. Due to Reggio's vicinity to Sicily; you can see Faro Point, the northeastern peninsula of Sicily in the distance, along with Mount Etna! The cathedral is an impressive building to visit; it suffered severe earthquake damage in 1908 so is built in a modern eclectic style with Romanesque and Gothic elements.
For something a little different, why not try the Museo della ndrangheta, which is a museum about the Calabrian mafia housed in a mansion confiscated from organized crime. Serving as both a public museum and research hub, it aims to raise the understanding of the mafia and to educate the next generation. It is located 10 km south of the city and was set up in 2009 in collaboration with Sapienza University in Rome and the University of Calabria.
Beaches around Reggio Calabria
Spiaggia La Sorgente is just 5km south of the city centre and has clean water for bathing. Lido Dello Stretto is due north and located in a beautiful natural bay with a unique view. The water and sand are clean, and the beach has plenty of places to buy food and drink and rent sunbeds. If you're willing to goe region has further afield, then the rest of the area has spectacular beaches away from the city. Around a 40-minute drive north of Reggio Calabria and set amongst rocks and cliff with deep blue crystal clear water is Cala Janculla, one of the most impressive beaches in the region. There are no amenities on the beach, so take something to sunbathe on and some provisions!