Reggio Calabria
Reggio Calabria conquers everyone with its fascinating panorama made unique by the view of Sicily and for its historical link to Magna Graecia.
Reggio Calabria
the City Of The Strait And The Riace Bronzes
Reggio Calabria is a city that attracts with its scents, colours and flavours, captivating anyone with its fascinating panorama made unique by the view of Sicily, but also with its vast historical and artistic heritage linked to Magna Graecia and a centuries-old culinary tradition.
The City Of The Riace Bronzes
Reggio Calabria preserves as a rare treasure one of the symbols of Calabria: the Riace Bronzes, housed in the National Archaeological Museum, or National Museum of Magna Graecia, is the most important museum in Calabria, exhibiting one of the most remarkable collections of artefacts from Magna Graecia.
The MArRC is one of the most avant-garde museums in Italy. Housed in the Palazzo Piacentini, named after the architect who designed it, its main feature is the inner courtyard (today Piazza Paolo Orsi), covered by a transparent glass ceiling. The Terrace, destined for dining areas, hosts cultural events in the summer. The new permanent display has no less than 220 showcases and is spread over four exhibition floors that tell the story of Calabria from prehistoric times to the Roman Age.
The City Of The Strait
Before leaving the city, one cannot fail to take a walk along its splendid seafront, the Lungomare Falcomatà, known to the people of Reggio as Via Marina, which stretches for about 1.7 km. Gabriele D’Annunzio called it ‘the most beautiful kilometre in Italy’, made unique by the incredible panorama with Sicily in the background.
The charm of the seafront is also given by the ‘Miraggio della Fata Morgana’, a suggestive optical phenomenon as a result of which it is possible to see Sicily close up in the image reflected by the sea.
In the centre of the Falcomatà waterfront stands the ‘Ciccio Franco’ arena, a theatre of modern construction, in imitation of ancient Greek theatres, built on the spot where the Porto Salvo Pier stood before the 1908 earthquake. A venue for all summer events in Reggio Calabria, the arena has a special charm thanks to its backdrop (Sicily) and the statue of Athena Promachos.
The Cippo Marmoreo, was inaugurated in May 1932. The bronze statue in the centre (the work of the Messina sculptor Bonfiglio) depicts Athena Promachos, the goddess Athena the fighter, placed in defence of the city of Reggio, so much so that originally the statue was facing the sea, while only a few years ago, after redevelopment work, it was turned around and facing the city.
If the day is hot, but even if it is not, tradition has it that on the Reggio seafront, in one of the many bars in the area, you can enjoy an almond granita, accompanied by excellent brioches.
Ice creams and granitas are one of the strong points of the city’s ‘culinary’ offerings, a cuisine that perfectly blends grandmothers’ knowledge with the ability to experiment, a ‘cucina povera’ but with strong flavours that exalts inland products, creating a particular mix with fresh fish.
