Reggio Calabria to see the magnificent 2,500 year old Riace Bronzes, the pleasant seaside town of Scilla and a fine castle in Vibo Valentia.
It was quite a tiring drive to Reggio calabria from Tropea where we were staying but we were keen to go to Reggio Calabria, particularly to see the Riace Bronzes.
We parked on a beautiful long promenade by the sea, Sicily and Etna looking very close.
The archaeological museum is very interesting with exhibits from Paleolithic times to Roman.1
The undoubted highlight are the Riace bronzes in their climate-controlled room.
Dating from the 5th century BC they were recovered from Riace marina in 1972. Greek in origin, representing warriors or gods, perhaps athletes, they stand almost 2m high and have the same stance. They would originally have worn a helmet and carried a spear and shield.
After the museum we had a very good steak at Adduma, preceded by prosciutto and mozzarella antipasto.
Then on to Scilla.
Scilla is a pleasant small coastal town with a castle on a promontory.
According to Greek legend, the sea monster Scylla is said to guard a narrow strait, associated with the Strait of Messina, and where Scilla now stands is said to be the location of her lair. Hence the name of the town.
We visited the castle but there isn't very much to see. A fortification has stood here since the time of the Etruscans, occupied by the Greeks and later the Romans.2
Vibo Valentia has a long history, being with the 7th century BC Greek colony of Hipponion, which became Hipponium under the Romans from 192 BC. We visited the Archaeological Museum, housed in the Norman-Swabian castle, to look at some of that history.
It is a fine, solidly-built castle with massive cylindrical towers and double gateways. From the castle walls the view stretches over the city to the coast.
Sixteen bronze helmets dating from the 6th century BC were found in the sanctuary of Scrimbia. Many had been deliberately disfigured or deformed. This was a common practice amongst the Greeks when an item was made as an offering in order to prevent them being reused and to affirm their sacred value.
The most precious object in the museum is the Orphic Lamina, a small sheet of very thin gold on which is inscribed a Greek text. It was found in the grave of a woman dating from the 5th century BC. The writing is a set of instructions on what the woman should do when she reaches the afterlife.