Reggio Calabria: Touristic information

Reggio Calabria
Touristic information about the city, the provinces and localities

Reggio Calabria: Main sights
Localities in the province


Reggio di Calabria (Calabria: Rìggiu, Greek-Calabrian: Righi, Greek: Rhèghion), commonly known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio. A historic city in southern Italy, the capital of the Province of Reggio Calabria as well as the largest and oldest city in the Calabria region. The city is over 2,700 years old and was previously the capital city of Calabria, until it was moved to Catanzaro, though the headquarters of the Calabrian Regional Council remains.
Founded by the Ancient Greeks as Rhegion, meaning it breaks away, it was a well established settlement of Magna Graecia, later becoming part of the Roman Republic and Byzantine Empire. Reggio emerged as the capital of the Duchy of Calabria for a period until it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Sicily. It was then part of the Kingdom of Naples, later known as Two Sicilies, from 1282 to 1860, until the Italian unification.
Located on the toe of the Italian peninsula boot, Reggio retains a somewhat rural feel despite its sizable population. There are approximately 180,000 people within the city and the local population are known as Reggians. Industry in the city revolves primarily around agriculture and the exportation of fruits and tobacco, also as Reggio is a port city, it has a fishing industry. The beaches of the city have helped make it a popular tourist destination.[2] The municipality of Reggio Calabria contains the frazioni (subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets) Catona, Gallico, Archi, Pentimele, Gallina, Mosorrofa (Greek: Messorofè), Ortì (Greek: Orthioi), Pellaro (Greek: Pèllaros), Saracinello.

Reggio Calabria: Main sights

The National Museum of Greater Greece, housing the two famous Bronzi di Riace statues. The Cathedral, the largest religious building in Calabria.
The Aragonese Castle, built before 540. It is now home to art exhibitions.
Chiesa degli Ottimati ("Church of the Optimates"), in Byzantine-Norman style.
The walls of the ancient city, one of the few remaining examples of the original Greek walls. They are divided into four separate sections, the one one the Falcomatà Seaside dating to the 4th century BC and attributed to the city's reconstruction by Dionysius II of Syracuse.
Villa Zerbi, a villa in 14th-century Venetian style. It is the seat of exhibition of the Venice Biennale in southern Italy.
Remains of Roman baths.
The Town Art Gallery (Pinacoteca Comunale) housing works by Antonello da Messina (Abraham Served by the Angels and St. Jerome in Penitence), Mattia Preti, Luca Giordano, Giuseppe Benessai and others.
The church of Saint Gaetano Catanoso (1879-1963) on via Catanoso in the Santo Spirito neighborhood. Canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on Oct. 23, 2005, St.
Gaetano is the first saint from Calabria since St.Francis of Paola, who was canonized in 1507. St Gaetano was founder of the Sisters of St. Veronica of the Holy Face. His glass tomb, a magnet for miracle seekers, is in the sanctuary. Museum exhibits as well. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 4, 1997.

Same informations in this page for Reggio Calabria are based on the site www.wikipedia.org respecting the GNU Free Documentation License.

Reggio Calabria: other to visit

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