Our post trip took us back to mainland Italy, to the region known as Calabria (one of 20 regions in Italy.) Sometimes referred to as the “toe” of the Italian “boot,” Calabria is a peninsula of irregular shape, jutting out in a northeast-southwest direction from the main body of Italy, separating the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas. Although known for its stunning coastline, rugged mountains, and picturesque landscapes, we have been told this is Italy’s least popular tourist destination (organized crimes being one of the reasons!)
To reach Calabria, we took a ferry across the narrow Strait of Messina which connects Sicily to the western tip of Calabria in southern Italy (about 2 miles.) During WW2, Messina was of strategic importance as a transit point for Axis troops sending supplies to Sicily. As a result, this was a prime target for the British and American air forces, which dropped some 6,500 tons of bombs in the span of a few months.
Today, the strait has different disputes ….continued controversies about building a bridge between Sicily and mainland Italy. Our guide said they have been talking about the bridge since Roman times…so the chances of it happening in his lifetime are few! This is a very earthquake prone area, and there are many environmental concerns because of bird migrations, fragile soil and strong winds. And, would connecting the Sicilian and Calabrian mafias be a good thing?
Calabria is historically the poorest and least developed region of Italy. While safe to visit, the roads are not in good condition (apparently because the mafia are connected to road building and use poor materials!) Economically, it is also the poorest of Italy. But….Calabria is an area of amazing natural beauty….81% is mountainous…. and the coastlines are breathtaking.
We drove to Reggio di Calabria, Calabria’s oldest and most populous city. Unfortunately, the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria was closed so we were unable to see the Riace Bronzes, two of the few remaining life-sized Greek bronzes. They had been submerged in the sea for over 2,000 years before being discovered by a scuba diver in 1982. So instead….a gelato stop!!!
