Greek Walls, Reggio Calabria, Italy

Walking along the Falcomatà waterfront, at Piazza Camagna, you will come across Reggio's largest stretch of Hellenistic walls, enclosed by wrought-iron gate. Although they are defined as 'Greek' walls, they are in reality the product of the city wall circuit that over time has been restored countless times, especially after the violent earthquake of 1783.

Built from burned bricks, of which almost no traces remain, the walls were built on foundations of local soft stone. The walls were constructed using a double curtain technique; spaces were filled with earth and crushed stone. The walls were actually built using isodomic blocks of local sandstone, arranged in two parallel lines with perpendicular stretches.

The preserved section is of extraordinary interest because it features the point where the western walls converge in an angle, deviating towards the east, closing the city walls to the south.

In terms of identifying the wall’s age, the ancient ceramic fragments found in the bricks are not helpful when trying to establish its exact moment of construction. The hypothesis that the walls were built after the mid-4th century BC, when Dionysius II rebuilt the city of Reggio under the name Febea, the city of Febo Apollo, is the most probable.The Archaeological Superintendence has hypothesized that, in the Reggio wall circuit, the walls in raw bricks come from the period of Anassila the tyrant (5th century BC), while those in burned bricks can be attributed to the tyrant Dionysius II, who was only in Reggio between 356 and 351 BC. Other scholars think instead that the walls, as we know them today, come from 4th century BC, based on the witnessed interventions by Dionysius II, the Republic of Reggina, and King Agathocles.Beyond the question of its exact dating, the Greek walls represent an important historical record not only of the city, but also of the entire classical civilization along the shores of the Mediterranean.

References:

Turismo Reggio Calabria

User Reviews

Jitka Bala Vandlíčková (6 months ago)
Along the coast lie the remains of walls, information downloaded from artificial intelligence The Archaeological Park of the Greek Walls of Reggio Calabria (Parco Archeologico delle Mura Greche) is an important historical monument that reveals the remains of the ancient Greek walls that once surrounded the city of Reggio Calabria. Known in ancient times as Rhegion, the city was one of the most important Greek cities in southern Italy, in the area called Magna Graecia. The walls were built between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, when the city was at the height of its development and prosperity. The park presents not only the remains of these ancient walls, but also finds from different historical periods that testify to the cultural and historical importance of Reggio Calabria. Visitors can see stone fragments of walls that once served to protect the city from invasions and attacks. Over the centuries, the city has undergone many changes and part of the walls have been damaged by earthquakes and wars, but archaeological work in modern times has enabled the discovery and conservation of these monuments. The Archaeological Park of the Greek Walls is today an important reminder of the ancient history of the city and one of the key sites of Calabria's cultural heritage.

Lis (2 years ago)
Very interesting archaeological park, located right on the seafront of Reggio Calabria. Unfortunately there is no indication or information.

Pablo Ruiz (2 years ago)
Great place to see

Samo Kokošinek (2 years ago)
Nice to see

Reggio Calabria: la nostra meravigliosa città (2 years ago)
The splendid Greek walls, a beautiful attraction to see all year round!

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