• Madonna della Consolazione: this oil painting was donated to Capuchin Friars by nobleman Camillo Diano in 1547, the same year in which the work of art was created by painter Nicolò Andrea Capriolo. This painting is still today brought in procession on the second Saturday of September (the Liturgical feast is on the following Tuesday) from S. Maria della Consolazione sanctuary, where it is kept in a bronze altar-piece by sculptor from Calabria, Alessandro Monteleone. The procession goes to the Cathedral where it remains until November. The painting portrays Our Lady on a throne holding the Holy Child between Saint Francis with a cross and Saint Anthony of Padua holding a lily. Two angels put a crown on the head of the Virgin holding a palm in her hand. Inhabitants do love this painting because they believe Our Lady has done several miracles, since 1752, when she became the patron of Reggio.
• Villa Genovese Zerbi: this house is a very original example of neo-Gothic architecture, and it was designed by engineers Domenico Zerbi, Pertini and Marzats. The rooms used in official occasions are towards the sea and they are linked by a loggia. The outside decoration is in Venetian Gothic style, with arches, columns, and polychrome elements. For the last years the house has been used as a place for exhibitions, and gave hospitality to some sections of Biennale of Venice.
• Lungomare Matteotti/Falcomatà: the seaside was described by Gabriele Dannunzio as the most beautiful "kilometre" in Italy. It is actually 10 km long and allows people to admire the wonderful panorama of the Strait of Messina and of Sicily. During the first hours of the day, in summer, there is the so-called phenomenon of Morgana fairy. This is a mirage that allows people to see Messina really close. Light is rarefied and borders are not precise. The town seems to be in the sky, as suspended. The seaside takes its name from a fromer mayor, Italo Falcomatà that worked hard for the development of Reggio. It is the heart of the town, especially during summer.
• Castello Aragonese: this castle is really ancient, it was maybe built before the invasions by Totila and Odoacre), it was widened and modified several times. In 1458/59 Ferdinand of Aragon restored it and added two towers (they still exist). In XVI century people took refuge in it during Turkish invasions. The most ancient part of the castle was demolished after the earthquake of 1908 to allow the passage of several roads.
• Duomo: the cathedral dedicated to Maria SS. Assunta in Cielo (Our Lady of the Assumption) is the biggest church in Calabria. The central nave is separated from the side ones thanks to two rows of columns lined in marble and having a stone base. Along the side naves there are eight chapels containing interesting furniture and works of art, such as the statues dedicated to Saint Paul and Saint Stephen (the first bishop of the town) by Francesco Jerace. There is also a wonderful chapel dedicated to the Holy sacrament, whose walls are completely covered by polychrome marbles. There is also the burnt column of Saint Paul! When the saint arrived in town (still pagan), he asked to the inhabitants to listen to his message for a short time: the time needed by a small candle to burn. But the inhabitants were so touched by his words that they listened for a really long time and then, suddenly, the whole column burnt.
• Bronzi di Riace: these bronze statues were found in the sea in front of Reggio in 1972; they are now the symbol of the town and are kept in Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia. They are maybe the two statues portraying Tideo and Anfiarao, protagonists of the fights of the seven against Thebes, and they were made in V century b.C. One of the statues was maybe by Fidia and the other by Policleto. They were probably in the temple of Delphi, the monument Athens dedicated to the victory at Marathon.
• Arena dello Stretto (or Anfiteatro Senatore Ciccio Franco): this is a theatre in Greek style where important events and performances take place. It dominates the panorama from Lungomare Falcomatà over the Strait.
• Cippo marmoreo a Vittorio Emanuele III: this monument (together with the statue of Athena) was dedicated to King Vittorio Emanuele III that arrived here, thus touching for the first time Italian land, on 31^st July 1900.
• Chiesa degli Ottimati: this church was built after the earthquake of 1908. Inside there is a wonderful floor made of mosaics and four Norman capitals. There is also an interesting altar-piece portraying the Annunciation, by Agostino Ciampelli.
• Teatro Francesco Cilea: this theatre is dedicated to the famous musician from Reggio. It is the biggest theatre in Calabria. The style comes from the Greek origins of the town.
• Mura della polis greca: the Greek walls come from IV century b.C. and maybe they were built by Dionisio II from Siracusa, when he rebuilt the town after his father Dionisio I had conquered it. They are made by two parallel rows of big sand stones.
• Terme Romane: in Reggio there are the ruins of the Roman thermal baths, there are the remains of white and black mosaics of the floor. It is one of the few remains of the Roman period in which Reggio was a Civitas Confoederata and a Municipium of Roman Empire.
• Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II: around this square there are several palaces, the town hall (Palazzo S. Giorgio), palazzo della Prefettura and palazzo della Provincia (Palazzo Foti). In 1869, a monument was put in the middle of the square. This monument represents Italy and this is why the square is also called Piazza Italia.
• Chiesa del Carmine: inside this church there is an altar of 1787 made in a rich Baroque style. It belonged to the ancient cathedral destroyed by the earthquake in 1908. It is decorated by green and yellow marbles; the altar is surmounted by a niche and by a small temple containing a wood statue portraying Our Lady, Madonna del Carmine.
• Piazza Garibaldi: in the middle of this square there is a big marble statue made with Carrara marble, by Alessandro Monteleone, portraying Garibaldi. In this square there is there is also the Railway station, built in 1925. In the hall there is a bassorilievo made in ceramics by sculptor Michele di Raco who portrayed Morgana fairy.
• Chiesa di S. Agostino: this church was built in 1937 in Romanic – Byzantine style. There is an interesting painting portraying Saint Philip and Saint James.
• Piazza Indipendenza: this square is the heart of traffic in Reggio. There is a fountain that has been built several times, always disappointing the citizens.
• Strade Cannocchiale: these stairs go from the hills to Lungomare Falcomatà. They are very characteristic and they produce a strange effect: if you watch from the top of the stairs the sea and the Sicily, they seem to be closer than they really are. They are called Strade Cannocchiale, that is "telescope roads".
• Torre Nervi: this round tower was built by architect Pier Luigi Nervi and it is used for cultural events.
• Monumento ai caduti di tutte le guerre: on the seaside there is a monument dedicated to the fallen of all the wars. It was inaugurated in 1930: also King Vittorio Emanuele III took part to the inauguration. The monument, designed by local sculptor Francesco Jerace, is made of a bronze statue portraying victory with a sword and a palm (it represents martyrdom) on a column. At the feet there are two bronze statues portraying an ancient warrior with a shield and an armed foot soldier on a gun.
• Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia: this museum is considered the second (after the one in Berlin) biggest and most important museum dedicated to findings of Magna Graecia. The building by Piacentini contains rich archaeological collections with a lot of findings coming from Calabria, Basilicata and Sicily. There are also many different coins, objects found in the tombs, pots and bronze items.
• Pinacoteca Comunale: this picture gallery contains many interesting works of art, among them two small paintings by Antonello da Messina.
• Museo dello Strumento Musicale: this museum is dedicated to music and music instruments, to concerts and music therapy.
• Museo dell’artigianato tessile della seta, costume e moda calabrese: this museum is dedicated to textile handicraft from Greek period to 1948. There are cloths, machines and tools used in this field.
• Museo Agrumario: this museum is inside Stazione Sperimentale per l’industria delle Essenze e dei derivati Agrumari (SSEA), the first centre dedicated to the study of citruses and citrus trees and to the extraction of oils. There is also a collection of photos that tells the story of cultivation, harvesting and processing of jasmine and poppies.

 

 

 

Copyright Starnetwork srl - All rights reserved
Written by Stefania Maffeo
Translation by Linda Liguori