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Tropea is a famous bathing place, situated on the reef and between the gulf of Sant’ Eufemia and the gulf of Tauro Joy. She lay on the ‘Coast of Gods’ and is called by the name ‘The Pearl’.
Tropea is a place with a lot of legends and history over two thousand years. One legend say, that Hercules had building Tropea after his return from spain, because the position near the ocean was a perfect military attitude.
The archaeological rests testify the presence of human takeovers from the Paleolitico. The ancient populations, the Enotri, the Morgeti and the Italien ones, were colonized from the Greeks. Later on, they will be the Roman to occupy all the Calabria and later, with the end of the Roman Empire, the region will be victim of continous invasions from part of the Bizantini and the Longobardi.
The earthquake of 1783 and the consequent epidemics, strongly carried the city towards one economics crisis.
The town’s landmake is the church ‘S. Maria dell Isole’, which is a build on a rock in the ocean. Under is developed in the last years one grotto. She is absolut well, but also a sign of destroying time.
In the center of the city are much palace of nobility at the 16./17. century to found.
Tropea counts beyond 15 churches of historical-religious value. Churches to visit are: Saint Peter in Ripas, Church of S.Demetrio, Saint Francisco d’ Assisi …. and so on.
In the town center is a beautiful cathedral, restored after its destruction by the earthquake of 1783, and also 1931, which was the last time, under the roman charcter.
Tropea is the birthplace of the painter Spano, the anatomists Pietro and Paolo Vianeo and also of the philosopher Pasquale Galluppi.
Many villages around tropea produce a particular quality of red onions. In Italy this onions are so famous that ‘Cipolla di tropea’ is an Italian synonym for all the generic onions.
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Pizzo is one of the most renowned towns in the Vibo Valentia province on the western coast of Calabria. The town is situated on a steep cliff overlooking the gulf of Santa Eufemia. Pizzo and the province to which it belongs to, Vibo Valentia, is famous for it scenic rugged coast, long sandy beaches, pleasant climate and the best ice cream in the world.
‘Il Tartufo’ was invented here in Pizzo to honor the visit of Prince Umberto Ι of Savoy in 1943. There are about many gelateria in Pizzo, all small family business with their own secret recipe for the tartufo.
Fishing is one of the main avtivities, including of tunny, swordfish and coral. Even the Japanese import the tuna of this region.
Walking up and down the small alleys in the old center of stories you can enjoy the view of the sea and the roofs of this picturesque little town.The main sign is an old castle, where G. Murrat, ex-king of Naples and brother in law of napoleon, was imprisoned and executed on October 13, 1815.
Also an impressive sight is the amount of churches in this little town which has around about 9.000 inhabitants. One is build into a grotto, la Chiesa di Piedigrotto. But the heart of Pizzo is La Piazza Republica, which it’s also called ‘Il Salotto’, the living room, as this is where people meet, especially in the evening.
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Scilla lies in front of the street of Messina. It’s the antique Scyllaeum and also the traditional site of the sea monster Scylla of Greek mythology. The legend of Ulysses, who having sailing his ship too close to the cliffs of Scilla in an attempt to distance himself from the vortices of Cariddi, fell into the sea and managed to escape certain death only thanks to the intervention and protection of Crateide, mother of Scilla.
Scilla takes its name from the colour which the water assume at certain hours of the day.
The town is composed by two sides: the downtown, where the town offices and the patronal saint residence have place and Marina di Scilla, the beach side, populated by tourists and thus heavily characterized by hotels and restaurants.
The beach is dominated by the Ruffs Castle, a fortress wished by the Dukes of Calabria.
Scilla is also famous for the fishing of swordfish. In Chinalea, the fishermen’s district with houses right on the shoreline with the sea which washes up into the tiny lanes.
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Reggio Calabria is located on the toe of Italy boot, across from the island of Sicily.
Reggio Calabria is over 2.700 years old and the largest and oldest city in the Calaria region. The town was previously the capital city of Calabria, until it was moved to Catanzaro, though the headquarters of the Calabrian Regional Council remains.
Reggio Calabria was founded by the Ancient Greeks settlers as Rhegion in 720 BC. During the Roman Empire it was called Rhegium Julium as a noble Roman city. Later Reggio Calabria became a Byzantine city and in the 12th century it became part of the Kingdom of Sicily. In the 13th century Reggio Calabria was became a part of the Kingdom of Naples.
The city is known as a location of the first dated Hebrew book, a Rashi commentary on the Pentaeuch, printed in 1475.
The area around Reggio Calabria has been subjected to several earthquakes and tsunami waves, over the centuries. The worst earthquakes came in 1783 and in 1908, the latest quake was the most devastating. Some 80 percent of all buildings in Reggio Calabria collapsed and many thousands of people were killed. That quake remains the worst on record in modern western European history.
To visit in Reggio Calabria are:
-the National Museum of Greater Greece, housing the two famous Bronzi di Riace statues
-the Cathedral, the largest religious in Calabria
-the Aragonese Castle
-Chiesa degli Ottimati
-the walls of the ancient city, one of the few remaining examples of the original Greek walls
-Villa Zerbi, which is a villa from the 14th century in venetian style
-remain of Roman baths
-the town art gallery (Pinacoteca Comunale)
-the church of Saint Gaetano Cantanoso
Reggio Calbria is the birthplace of the sculptor and mathematician Pytharogas, the poet Ibycus, the saint and priest Gaetano Catanoso, the painter and sculptor Umberto Boccioni and of the fashion designers Gianni and Donatella Versace.
Industry in the city revolves primarily around agriculture and the exportation of citrus fruits, oils, wine, wood and tobacco, also as Reggio is a port city, it has a fishing industry.
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