Reggio di Calabria

Reggio stands on the Calabrian shore of the Strait of Messina, facing Sicily across a narrow and famously turbulent channel. Founded as the Greek city of Rhegion, it became a gateway between the Italian mainland and the island. Its position brought commerce and military attention, while the mountains of Aspromonte rise behind the coastal city.

In 1465 Ferdinand of Aragon restored Reggio's status as a regional capital after a popular uprising. The city prospered in the sixteenth century, but its exposed shore suffered repeated raids; in 1594 forces under Sinan Cicala sacked it. Silk production and the cultivation of bergamot later became important to the local economy. In 1783 a series of earthquakes devastated southern Calabria, bringing destruction to Reggio and its neighbours.