Reggio Calabria, a Greek city at the Strait of Messina

Our journey continues towards Reggio Calabria, on the Strait of Messina, where an ancient city, the most beautiful kilometer in Italy, and an excursion to Sicily await us.

At the Lungomare of Reggio Calabria, there are magnificent trees, and you can catch a glimpse of Sicily right across from you

Our day in Reggio Calabria starts with a visit to the Archaeological Museum. The sun is shining, and while we’re drawn to the outdoors, we definitely want to learn more about Reggio’s ancient past, and this museum is absolutely worth recommending. But if you think it’s all about the Romans, since we’re in Italy, you’d be wrong. Reggio Calabria is actually right in the middle of Magna Graecia, and the history of this region is what is told here at the museum.

From the 8th century BC, the first Greek peoples settled in what is now Calabria, founding many cities along the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas, as well as in Sicily.

One of the first cities was supposedly founded near Naples. The ancient cities functioned much like those in Greece, as polis-kratos. This means they were city-states that managed their own affairs and were completely independent from their mother city (metropolis). Often, wars or lack of fertile land in Greece were the reasons for colonizing other areas of the Mediterranean. Magna Graecia refers to “Great Greece,” which includes ancient Greece and all the new cities established in the Mediterranean.

With remarkable excavations and well-prepared educational materials, the museum has five levels that tell the ancient history of Reggio Calabria and Calabria itself. From prehistoric times, through the development of Greek cities, daily life in the polis-kratos, to the necropolis, you learn about how people lived here in ancient times and what concerned them beyond death.

I Bronzi di Riace

I Bronzi di Riace

The highlight of the museum is the two bronze statues—I Bronzi di Riace—which likely come from ancient Argos and are very well preserved. They were found in August 1972 near Riace, from which they take their name. To this day, these two statues carry a certain mystique because it’s not known exactly what they represent or for what purpose they were created. But this allows everyone to let their imagination run wild.

For more information about the Archaeological Museum of Reggio, check out the official website: https://www.museoarcheologicoreggiocalabria.it/

One more stroll before heading over to Messina

Next, we stroll along Corso Garibaldi, the shopping street of Reggio. Like in most larger cities, you'll find international brands here, but smaller, unique boutiques are located in the side alleys. Parallel to Corso Garibaldi is the Lungomare of Reggio, also known as the most beautiful kilometer in Italy. I can understand why. The Lungomare is the promenade by the sea, which surely invites Italians to linger on warm summer evenings or to enjoy the winter sun while exercising or walking. The Arena dello Stretto, an amphitheater by the sea, is also located here, and it houses the goddess Athena, who is said to protect the city.

I particularly enjoyed the installation Opera by Edoardo Tresoldi. It consists of 46 8-meter-high Greek columns (bottom left in the picture), a tribute to the Greek culture of Calabria. The columns are made of mesh wire, allowing a clear view of the sea instead of obstructing it.

Opera di Edoardo Tresoldi

Il Lungomare Italo Falcomata

L´Arena dello Stretto

At Lungomare Italo Falcomatá, from left: Opera by Edoardo Tresoldi, a view of the Lungomare, the Arena dello Stretto

The name “dello Stretto” already hints at the next place we’ll visit. Stretto refers to the Strait of Messina, which is just across from Reggio and seems so close. In the afternoon, we take a fast ferry from Villa San Giovanni (about 10 km from Reggio) and cross over to the Sicilian port city. At first, the many new buildings from the 1960s and 1970s stand out, which seem to have replaced the old historical buildings. There's also a lack of a city center with pedestrian zones, shops, and cafés as a point of reference. Still, we’re excited to see the famous cathedral of Messina with its unique bell tower, do some strolling, and then return to Reggio in the evening.

Reggio, we´ll be back!

We’re far from done with Reggio. We really enjoyed our day here and are now well-prepared to dive deeper into Greek Calabria. Next, we’ll visit the Greek mountain villages of Galliaciano-Bova and Pentedattilo.

When have you encountered Greek culture outside of Greece? Feel free to leave your comments! :-)