The name «Italy» begins here: according to several reconstructions the Greeks used it for the land between the two gulfs, at the isthmus of Catanzaro, and only later did it come to mean the whole peninsula. Calabria has 404 comuni and five provinces, and the capital, Catanzaro, is not the most populous city — that is Reggio Calabria, home of the Riace Bronzes, the two Greek warriors fished out of the sea in 1972. Of Magna Graecia much more survives than the museums: in the Bovesìa people still speak the Greek of Calabria, in the villages of the centre and north Arbëreshë, and at Guardia Piemontese Occitan.
Five centuries of Byzantine rule left monasteries, hermitages and a record few remember: for centuries Calabria was the leading area in Europe for the production and working of silk. Today the region divides between three national parks of real mountain — Pollino, Sila and Aspromonte — and a coast that sells itself, from Tropea to Capo Vaticano. At table the rulers are bergamot, which scents the great teas of the world, the red onion of Tropea and the 'nduja of Spilinga.
The places worth the trip on their own, picked by our editors.
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Our editors' ranking: the area's most important places, drawn from the individual town guides. See the national rankings →
1 🖼️ Museums Riace Bronzes – Archaeological Museum 📍 Reggio di Calabria Two Greek warriors of the fifth century BC, found on the seabed in 1972 and kept in Reggio Calabria. 
2 ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries Santa Maria dell'Isola 📍 Tropea Founded in the 7th century on a sandstone rock, this former Byzantine retreat preserves ancient tombstone fragments. 
3 🏛️ Squares & old towns Chianalea 📍 Scilla Houses on the water, one narrow street and the swordfish boats, under the castle. Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
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📅 Every year, from 13 to 20 October
From 13 to 20 October Belvedere Marittimo celebrates its patron Saint Daniel Fasanella with a feast and market; the town also hosts "Note di fuoco NDF", an international fireworks festival.
📅 Every year, on 18 October
On 18 October San Luca celebrates its patron and namesake Saint Luke the Evangelist; the town is the birthplace of writer Corrado Alvaro and lies near the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Polsi.
📅 Every year, on 22 October
On 22 October Casali del Manco celebrates its patron Saint John Paul II; the municipal territory, in the Sila range, includes Monte Pettinascura.
📅 Every year, on 24 October
On 24 October Castrolibero celebrates its patron Saint Raphael the Archangel; the town also hosts the Parco Collodi, dedicated to the author of Pinocchio.
