Africo
The Province of Reggio Calabria: Its Territory and Its Municipalities
The Province of Reggio Calabria was the southernmost province in the Italian peninsula, stretching from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Ionian Sea for about 220 km of coastline. Its territory was mainly characterized by the Aspromonte Mountains, while the flat area was called "a chjàna". At the time of its suppression, the province included 97 municipalities, accounting for 28% of the Calabrian population and occupying 21.1% of the Calabria region.
Physical Geography
Territory
The territory of the Province of Reggio Calabria bordered to the west on the Tyrrhenian Sea, and to the south and east on the Ionian Sea, while it bordered to the northeast with the Province of Catanzaro, and to the northwest with the Province of Vibo Valentia. The province was of great geological interest, as its territory was entirely within the Aspromonte Mountains.
Districts
Between 1998 and 2010, the Province of Reggio Calabria established three districts of administrative decentralization: the Stretto District, the Palmi District, and the Locri District. These districts covered the areas of Reggio Calabria, the Piana di Gioia Tauro, and the Ionian area from Reggio to Monasterace, and to the border with the Province of Catanzaro.
Municipalities
The Province of Reggio Calabria had 97 municipalities, including Africo, Bagnara Calabra, Benestare, Brancaleone, Camini, Condofuri, Delianuova, Ferruzzano, Gerace, Gioia Tauro, Palmi, Reggio Calabria, Roccaforte del Greco, Siderno, and Taurianova.
History
The Province of Reggio Calabria corresponded to the territories of the ancient province of Calabria Ulteriore Prima, established in 1817 by the division of Calabria into Ulteriore I and Ulteriore II. The Province of Reggio Calabria was suppressed in 2017 and replaced by the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria.
In conclusion, the Province of Reggio Calabria was an area with great geological and territorial interest, and it counted numerous municipalities. With its suppression, the province was replaced by the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria, while still preserving its historical and cultural importance that this Italian area offers.
