At the toe of Italy’s boot Reggio Calabria rises from the sea towards the Aspromonte Mountains. Its undulating hills and steeply inclined streets remind me of San Francisco. It is 1.9 miles across the Strait of Messina from Sicily, and is the exact center of the Mediterranean Sea.
On December 28, 1908 a massive earthquake and tsunami destroyed the city and devastated most of Calabria. It was rebuilt in the eclectic Liberty style, Italian Art Nouveau. Reggio Calabria is the most metropolitan city in Calabria.
A palm tree lined lungomare wends its way along the seafront, at the center of which is an amphitheater dedicated to Athena. It is the perfect spot to sit and watch the sun set behind Sicily.
All over Calabria are reminders of their Greek roots. Temples and icons of gods and goddesses are called by their Greek names, but in Reggio Calabria one senses their ties to ancient Rome as well. The greeting here is “Salve.”
My stay in Reggio Calabria was to see the Riace Bronzes at the National Archeological Museum of Magna Graecia. There will be more on the cultural treasures of Calabria in another blog.
The Write Mind of a Lefthander 