Start your day by taking the ferry boat to cross the Straits of Messina to Reggio Calabria, and its Museo della Magna Grecia, one of the finest in the Mediterranean. A large section of the museum is dedicated to the Bronzi di Riace, two marvellous bronze statues, slightly over life size, dating to the 5th century BC. Representing athletes or warriors, they were found in 1972 on the sea bed off the coast at nearby Riace. The displays in the section describe how the statues were recuperated and restored. On returning to Sicily, you will visit the splendid Regional Museum of Messina, recently restyled. After the disastrous 1908 earthquake, which almost completely destroyed the city, works of art such as paintings and statues were rescued from the rubble and brought to an old silk mill, which was miraculously intact. The extensive collections have now outgrown that original site, and have been transferred to a purposely-built new museum. Among the outstanding works are paintings by Caravaggio and Antonello da Messina, fine sculptures, and an interesting archaeological collection.
For further information, please contact us at closertosicily@hotmail.com
Luxury Sicily Holidays 