Palizzi
The City of Reggio Calabria: Population and History
Reggio Calabria is an Italian municipality located in Calabria, the capital of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria, with a population of approximately 171,246 inhabitants. It is the largest municipality in terms of population and the only Metropolitan City in the region. Reggio Calabria is also the oldest city in Greek Calabria, with a history of over three thousand years. It was an important city of Magna Graecia and today boasts a modern urban layout, the result of the reconstruction following the Messina earthquakes of 1908.
Physical Geography
Reggio Calabria stretches along the eastern coast of the Strait of Messina for about 32 km and towards the east, from sea to mountains, for another 30 km or so. The city covers an area of 236.02 km² and stretches from a minimum altitude of 0 meters to a maximum of 1,803 meters above sea level.
The historic center of Reggio Calabria was rebuilt at an average altitude of 31 meters above sea level. The entire coastline in front of the historic center has been leveled on three volumes, low marine street, high marine street and botanical strip. Geographically, the main core is located between the fiumara dell'Annunziata to the north and the fiumara del Calopinace to the south.
Reggio Calabria faces the Strait of Messina, a 3.5 km stretch of sea that separates it from Messina, the western shore of the strait. The two cities form the Metropolitan Area of the Strait of Messina, the geographic center of what the ancient Romans called "Mare Nostrum."
The National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria
The National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria displays collections of artifacts from Magna Graecia and the famous Riace Bronzes, two bronze warrior statues dating back to the 5th century BC. Discovered by chance in 1972 by a scuba diver on the beach of Riace Marina, the Riace Bronzes have become the symbol of Reggio Calabria and are considered masterpieces of ancient art.
The National Archaeological Museum is located in the historic center of Reggio Calabria and was inaugurated in 1932. The collections housed in the museum document the ancient history of Calabria and Magna Graecia, with approximately 15,000 artifacts, including ceramics, coins, jewelry, sculptures, and everyday objects.
Reggio Calabria in the Metropolitan Area of the Strait of Messina
Reggio Calabria is part of the Metropolitan Area of the Strait of Messina, a vast conurbation that includes the municipalities on the Calabrian side of the Strait of Messina and the metropolitan area of Messina on the Sicilian side. This territory represents the social and economic heart of southern Italy and has a strategic role in the Mediterranean.
The conurbation was born from the urban continuity between Reggio Calabria and Messina, cities separated only by the Strait of Messina. The Metropolitan Area represents an example of strong social and economic integration between the municipalities on the two shores of the strait.
Conclusions
Reggio Calabria is a city with a long and important history that stretches along the eastern coast of the Strait of Messina. The National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria preserves the evidence of this ancient civilization, including the Riace Bronzes. Reggio Calabria is also part of the Metropolitan Area of the Strait of Messina, a territory that represents a strategic reference point in the Mediterranean.
