Seniors Head for Southern Italy-The “Toe”

Reggio di Calabria, commonly known as Reggio Calabria or simply Reggio, is the biggest city and the most populated commune of Calabria, Southern Italy. Senior friends, get your coffee, we’re going to the “toe” of the Italian Peninsula to Reggio Calabria, situated on the slopes of the Aspromonte, a long, craggy mountain range that runs up through the center of the region.

The third economic center of mainland Southern Italy, the city proper has a population of more than 200,000 inhabitants spread over 236 square kilometres (91 sq mi), while the fast-growing urban area numbers 260,000 inhabitants.

Reggio Calabria is famous worldwide for the Riace Bronzes, hosted since 1981 in its Archaeological Museum, established in 1882, while the Cathedral dates back to its founding by Saint Paul. The Bronzi di Riace are two famous full-size Greek bronze sculptures of nude bearded warriors, cast about 460–430 BCE, that were discovered by chance in 1972 in the waters of Riace Marina.

Seniors Enjoy Old City In Heart Of Mediterranean

Reggio Calabria is the oldest city in the region, and despite its ancient foundation – Ρηγιον was an important and flourishing colony of Magna Graecia – it has a modern urban system, set up after the catastrophic earthquake on 28 December 1908, which destroyed most of the city.

Province of Reggio Calabria has the highest population density in the Region. It is located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, between the seaside and the mountains of a land rich in flavors and colors. In the southwest, senior visitors can look out at Sicily, just 2 miles away across the Strait of Messina.

TripAdvisor suggests seniors not miss Lungomare Falcomatàone one of the most famous streets of Reggio Calabria. Meandering along Lungomare Falcomata, you’ll see why Gabriele D’Annunzio famously called it “the most beautiful kilometer of Italy.”

This walkway on the Strait of Messina is lined with tropical plants and ancient monuments, including the Greek Walls, Roman thermal baths, and the Cippo.

 City Of Bronzes, Bergamot And Fatamorgana Intrigue Seniors

I’d want to a be sure and visit the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia, housing an archaeological collection from sites in Magna Graecia. Reggio has commonly used popular nicknames: The “city of Bronzes”, for the Riace bronzes which are testimonials of its Greek origins; the “city of bergamot”, which is exclusively cultivated in the region; and the “city of Fatamorgana”, an optical phenomenon visible in Italy only from the Reggio seaside.

Lonely Planet notes that despite struggles with civic corruption and infiltration from the ‘ndrangheta (Calabrian mafia), Reggio has bravely attempted to improve its image in recent years with plans to rehabilitate its port and waterfront (as yet unrealized).

Fortunately, there’s no need to rehabilitate the food. Reggio hides some of Calabria’s best salt-of-the-earth restaurants. Senior visitors can work up an appetite by hiking in the nearby Parco Nazionale dell’Aspromonte, or exploring the coastline at nearby seaside escapes along the Tyrrhenian and Ionian coasts. -jeb