- Locri Epizephyrii - Portigliola - Gerace
95 km from Reggio (5 km from Siderno; 35 km from Monasterace Marina) along
the SS106 there is the archeological area Locri Epizephyrii, 3km distant
from the new Locri centre, and defined as the pillar of Calabria’s archeology.
Home to Zaleuco, first legislator of the western world, and to Nosside, gracious
and passionate poetess, Lokroi, greek colony founded in the VII cent. B.C., has
been one of the most important Magna Graecia’s city of Calabria.
In the Antiquarium rooms are displayed rich collections of votive objects and
findings of the ionic and dorian temples of the ancient city;outside it is
possible to access the archeological area of the Masarà temple and the diggings
of Centocamere. Going further deep into the road on the right side of the
Antiquarium, after 1km there is the Portigliola area where, in the
Pirettina district, there are the ruins of a greek-roman theatre, that since a
few years in August is home the Classical Theatre season, during which greek
tragedies and comedies are played. In a stone Casket are kept precious bronze
images, engraved in dorian dialect, that belong to the administrative archive of
the city of Lokroi.
Going back onto the SS106, towards Locri, at the first traffic lights there is
the road to Gerace, (500mt. a.s.l.) , about 10km away.
So called the “Holy City” for is numerous churches, convents and monasteries,
it’s a perfectly preserved medieval village, divided into Borgo Maggiore, Largo
Piano, Borghetto and Città Alta. At the top of the Città Alta district there are
the remains of a Castle and a splendid view that goes from the feet of
Aspromonte to the sea. The tradition says that inside the castle there is grotto
where S.Antonio lived, inside which there was a water spring that was considered
miraculous. In Piazza Tribuna there is a byzantine-romanic-norman style
Cathedral, the biggest masonry temple of Calabria; in Piazza delle tre Chiese
there is S.Francesco church with a triple arabian-swabian arched window and a
magnificent triumphal arch, finely inlayed polychrome marbles, and S.Giovanni
Cristomo church, byzantine church for Calabria, that depends directly from the
greek orthodox Metropolìa, and the Sacro Cuore church, with a baroque façade and
portal and a dome “a coppo sporgente”. Going down towards the doors of the city
there is the “walk of the Bombarde”, that allows to admire a unique view, and
that extends for all the area of the Riviera, from Punta Stilo to Capo
Spartivento (about 50km of coastline).
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