The Metropolitan Area of Reggio Calabria, set between the two coastal fronts of the lower Ionian Sea on side, and the Tyrrhenian Sea on the other, has 97 municipalities: villages of great interest for both their historical and architectural features, and the wonderful landscapes that characterise them. It is an area at the centre of the Mediterranean whose history, not surprisingly, is strongly influenced by the different cultures of the people who have passed through here. In the heart of the metropolitan area of Reggio Calabria, between the approximately 220 kilometres of coastline that extends from Rosarno to Punta Stilo (Monasterace), lies the imposing Aspromonte massif that almost seems to retain the three main sides: the eastern Ionian south characterised by low coasts, and the southwestern and northwestern Tyrrhenian Sea, characterised by high frontal coasts. The territory, which hosts about 30% of the regional population with just under 60,000 inhabitants, presents profound contrasts to the landscape: sea and mountains together, key factors of the territory around which history, culture, and traditions are intertwined. Particularly rich is the naturalistic context that boasts a great variety of ecosystems and typical Mediterranean landscapes. It is a heritage that boasts examples such as the Costa Viola, the Riviera dei gelsomini, the Valley of Torbido, and the Valley of the Stilaro. On the Tyrrhenian side, the Piana di Gioia Tauro, is known for its port that ranks among the first places in the Mediterranean and in Italy for traffic intensity. The Ionian side responds with Locride, a typically rural area where traditional crops flourish and the Grecanica area (or Bovesia), located in the heart of the Amendolea valley. It is place with ancient roots in which some towns (specifically Bova, Gallicianò, Roghudi, and Roccaforte del Greco) pass on and still protect the use and knowledge of the Greek language.
Canolo: Locride’s defender
Rich in special treasures, this small village is a destination to visit both for its strategic position on the Dossoni della Melia, and for the flavours and traditions that distinguish it.
Cardeto: the heart that dances on the slopes of Aspromonte
A city with ancient origins located in the upper valley of the Fiumara Sant’Agata, it owes its name to the cardo plant (kαρδίτο in Greek, cardìto in Calabrian Greek). The ending -eto means a territory in Greek, so Cardeto would be the land of the thistles.
Historical sources trace the first inhab [...]
Careri: the village between mysterious rocks
The first housing complex in Careri was built in the late Middle Ages, around the beginning of the 12th century, thanks to a group of families from nearby Pandora, an ancient Magna Graecia town destroyed by a catastrophic earthquake. The toponym goes back to the 16th century also in the form of Char [...]
Casignana and the treasures of the Roman Villa
It was first and foremost a need to fortify the area that gave origin to Casignana, founded around the 9th century by the inhabitants of nearby Potamia in a position of full control over the coastline plagued by the incursions of the Saracens. The community of Casignana, however, began to take shape [...]
Caulonia: the irrepressible rhythm of tradition
Among the coolness of the Valle dello Stilaro and Allaro and the splendid Calabrian Ionian coasts, Caulonia, formerly called Castelvetere, gets its name from the ancient and important city of Kaulon, whose ruins continue to surface in the surround area. It seems that the village was founded by the s [...]
Chianalea, a journey through time between myth, history, and traditions
Leaving behind Marina Grande and the purely seaside dimension that the enchanting Scilla beach is able to offer, you enter a completely different world. It can be immediately seen by taking a peep at the foot of the great cliff that houses the Ruffo Castle, in a position that totally dominates the s [...]