Gerace
Discover the beauty of Locri: physical geography
Hello friends! Today, I will talk to you about Locri, a wonderful city located in the Calabria region. The city is surrounded by unspoiled nature, between the Aspromonte massif and the Ionian Sea. You will admire the enchanting landscape of Locride characterized by citrus groves of all kinds, centuries-old olive groves, vineyards, almond trees, spontaneous holm oak forests, myrtle, jasmine, brooms, and prickly pears. The metropolitan city of Reggio Calabria can boast of the large Locrian beaches, called "the Greek beaches," which are unspoiled and scattered with typical Mediterranean vegetation. I recommend you don't miss the sight of Carpobrotus and Pancratium maritimum.
Historical background
I will also tell you about the history of Locri. The city is known as Locri Epizefiri, a polis of Magna Graecia founded in the 7th century BC. After the Roman conquest, it was abandoned due to Saracen and Turkish raids and the plague of malaria. Subsequently, the inhabitants moved to the safer hills of the hinterland where Gerace was born. In the 19th century, they returned to the coastal areas, and Gerace Marina became an important commercial and industrial center.
Monuments and places of interest
If you visit Locri, you cannot miss the archaeological sites. A particular attraction of this city is the archaeological site located about 3 km south of the municipality. The distance from the modern town has allowed almost entirely preserving the ancient Greek city, although in past centuries, the inhabitants of the area used the stones of this city to build new houses. The archaeological excavations were directed by important personalities in the sector such as Paolo Orsi, Paolo Enrico Arias, and Giulio Jacopi. You can visit the National Museum of Locri which exhibits thousands of archaeological finds from pre-Hellenic, Magna Graecia, and Roman era. Of particular interest are the archaeological remains of Greek temples, Greek theaters, and the walls of Magna Graecia era.
Honors of Locri
Finally, go and see the honors of the city. Locri Epizefiri was awarded the title of world heritage by UNESCO and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. The National Museum of Locri was awarded the Gold Medal for Museums for the year 2009 by the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Tourism, precisely for the important work of conservation, restoration, and enhancement of the archaeological heritage.
I recommend visiting this beautiful city to immerse yourself in its culture, discover the history of Magna Graecia, and admire unspoiled nature. Don't forget to take a walk on the Greek beaches and visit the archaeological site and the museum of Locri to get to know the culture of Magna Graecia.
