HISTORY OF SCILLA:
According to legend, Scilla was the place where the mythological monster Scylla lived. A character in Greek mythology, Scylla was a sea nymph who, out of jealousy, was transformed by Circe into a monster with six dogs' heads in place of her legs, and long snake tails. Read More [...]
The monster, who lived on one side of the Strait of Messina, opposite her counterpart Charybdis, was met by Odysseus on his travel. The expression between Scylla and Charybdis means to be forced to choose between two similarly dangerous situations.
In the 5th century BC, Reggio Calabria reached a considerable importance, and the tyrant of Reggio, Anaxilas, defeated the Tyrrhenian pirates who threatened the city. The pirates settled on the rocky shore of Scilla and, over time, they turned into farmers and fishermen.
Later, during Roman times, the importance of Scilla began to decline, in the aftermath of the Roman conquest of Sicily, when Messina assumed the role of controlling the Strait.
On December 28, 1908, a violent earthquake occured in the Strait of Messina, and Scilla was almost completely destroyed. To escape the earthquake, the people of Scilla ran to the beach, where a violent tsunami killed thousands of them.
GEOGRAPHY OF SCILLA:
Today, Scilla is a town of almost 5,000 people in the province of Reggio Calabria, part of the Italian region Calabria. The town is located on the homonymous promontory, which extends over the Strait of Messina, known in ancient times as the Strait of Scilla. Read More [...]
Scilla is located 22 kilometers northeast of Reggio Calabria, 70 kilometers southwest of Tropea, 82 kilometers southwest of Pizzo, 115 kilometers southwest of Lamezia Terme, 140 kilometers southwest of Catanzaro, 385 kilometers southwest of Matera, 450 kilometers southwest of Bari, 475 kilometers southeast of Naples, and about 695 kilometers southeast of Rome.
TRANSPORT TO SCILLA:
The closest airport is the Reggio di Calabria Tito Minniti Airport, also know as Aeroporto dello Stretto (Airport of the Strait), located about 28 kilometers to the south, but you can also fly to the Lamezia Terme Sant’Eufemia International Airport, located about 110 kilometers to the north. Read More [...]
To get to Scilla from the Reggio di Calabria Airport, you can take one of the buses 115, 118, 119 or 121-122 to the Reggio Calabria Centrale railway station. The trip takes about 25 minutes, and a ticket costs 1.50€. Then, from the Reggio Calabria Centrale railway station, you can take a train to Scilla. The trip takes about 35 minutes, and a ticket costs 2.70€.
To get to Scilla from the Lamezia Terme Airport, you can take the shuttle bus to the Lamezia Terme Centrale railway station, located about 2 kilometers away. The trip takes about 5 minutes, and a ticket costs 1.50€ at the ticket office or 2.50€ if bought on board. Then, from the Lamezia Terme Centrale railway station, you can take a train to Scilla. The trip takes about 1 hour, and the cheapest ticket costs 8.50€.
By car, you can reach Scilla from Reggio Calabria in about 25 minutes, following Autostrada del Mediterraneo (Mediterranean Highway) and then the E45 road. From Lamezia Terme, you can get to Scilla in about 1 hour, on the same E45 European route.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN SCILLA:
Scilla is mainly known for its coastal district of Chianalea, a charming and picturesque place with narrow streets and old buildings, for its magnificent Ruffo Castle, an ancient fortification built on the promontory of Scilla, for its churches - the Church of the Immaculate Conception, the Church of San Rocco, the Church of the Holy Spirit, and for its beautiful beach known as Spiaggia delle Sirene (Beach of the Mermaids).