This city of nearly 200,000 people is some 2,700 years old, having been settled initially by the Greeks as part of Magna Grecia. It served as the capital of Calabria for many years, and it has produced multiple famous sons over the centuries. Pythagoras, of mathematical and Pythagorean theorem fame, is said to have lived here during the fifth century. More modern local names that you might know include Gianni and Donatella Versace of the fashion world.

Unfortunately, the city today has fallen into a state of tourist-unfriendly disrepair in many respects. Most people who come here use Reggio di Calabria as a stepping-off point to get aboard ferries bound for the island of Sicily, which is well within view across the Strait of Messina. Still, before you travel onward, there are a few things worth seeing in Reggio di Calabria, including the Museo Nazionale and its famous Bronzi di Riace statues.

The Bronzi di Riace

In August 1972, a Roman chemist named Stefano Mariottini was enjoying a scuba diving vacation at a presumed shipwreck off the coast of Riace when he found two bronze sculptures. They are now widely regarded as major additions to the world's known pieces of surviving Greek sculpture from the fifth century B.C.

Each of the two pieces depicts a nude, bearded warrior; their spears and shields have been lost to time, likely beneath the sea. What did survive were the inlays that make the statues so striking and memorable: eyes featuring bone and glass, teeth done in silver, and lips and nipples shaped in copper. Experts are unsure whether the statues represent specific warriors; for now, they are known simply as “A” and “B.” Many serious students of sculpture consider the statues so significant that they trek all the way down to Reggio di Calabria just to see them.

Restoration of the statues took place in Reggio di Calabria from 1975 until 1980, after which the statues went on display in Rome and Florence to great acclaim before being returned to specially constructed, air-conditioned rooms at the Museo Nazionale in Reggio di Calabria. You can learn more before your visit at the museum's website, www.museonazionalerc.it.

Waterfront Promenade

Before you leave Reggio di Calabria, take some time to enjoy a walk along the waterfront, from which you can see the lights of the world-famous island glimmering in the distance. There isn't much else to do here along the promenade, but a stroll can be a nice, leisurely diversion after a day of travel.