Reggio di Calabria, commonly known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio, is a city located in southern Italy and the capital of the Province of Reggio Calabria. This is the largest and oldest city in the region. It is also the second oldest city in Italy overall. Reggio Calabria is the third economic center of mainland Southern Italy and a known port and university city. The city is also known as the "city of Bronzes", for the Riace bronzes which are testimonials of its Greek origins. Other nicknames of the city are the "city of Bergamot", which is exclusively cultivated in the region, and the "city of Fatamorgana", an optical phenomenon visible only from the Reggio seaside in Italy. Reggio Calabria was founded in 720 BC by the Ancient Greeks as Rhegion, meaning it breaks away. The city was a well established settlement of Magna Graecia, and later become a Roman ally and part of the Roman Republic, then metropolis and capital of the possessions of the Byzantine Empire in southern Italy. For some time, the city was the capital of the Duchy of Calabria, until it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Sicily. It later became part of the Kingdom of Naples, later known as Two Sicilies, from 1282 to 1860, until the Italian unification. Despite its size, Reggio retains a somewhat rural feel. Even the city's industry revolves primarily around agriculture, and the exportation of fruits and tobacco. Also, since it's a port city, it has a fishing industry. Reggio's beaches contributed making it a popular tourist destination.
