The Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria: admiring the Riace Bronzes
Opening hours, prices and information to discover the Magna Graecia Archaeological Museum in Reggio Calabria, where you can admire the wonderful Riace Bronzes
The Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria: the tickets most chosen by travelers
National Archaeological Museum Reggio Calabria with PemCards Postcard
Explore artifacts, view the Riace Bronzes, and create personal postcards
3.2
from 17€
The Riace Bronzes discovered in 1972 and exhibited at the Museum of Reggio Calabria
We can have an idea about how great and important the civilizations of Magna Graecia were by visiting the Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria. Flourishing and cultured cities, which traded throughout the Mediterranean and purchased works of art of valuable workmanship, such as the Riace Bronzes, the sublime statues of two warriors which embody the magnificence of that culture more than any other image. They were found in 1972 in the sea off the coast of Tyrrhenian Calabria and express the harmony, the perfection of classic shapes with the added bonus of admirable details.
The Riace Bronzes are housed in the MArRC, the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria, one of the most important in Italy, also known as the National Museum of Magna Graecia. The statues are located on the ground floor (Level D) at the end of the exhibition itinerary, in one of the five levels that make up Palazzo Piacentini, the seat of the Reggio Emilia museum, conceived after the devastating earthquake of 1908 and built with modern techniques between 1932 and 1941 expressly as a museum and finally completely renovated in 2016.
From prehistory to the classical age, useful information on the Museum of Reggio Calabria
The exhibition itinerary of the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria embraces the entire history of the Calabria region but also of Lucanian and Sicilian sites. There are prehistoric finds of great importance, pottery and utensils from the Greek and Roman periods, an important numismatic collection and of course works of art, such as the Riace Bronzes.
Given the fragility of the two statues - popularly renamed the Younger and the Older - lying at the bottom of the sea for over 2000 years, access to the room that houses them is limited, a maximum of 20 people at a time. The environment is also subjected to a controlled climate, with humidity at 40-50% and temperature at 21-23 degrees. Furthermore, the Bronzes rest on an anti-seismic structure which must protect them in the event of an earthquake.
Two meters high and weighing 190 kilograms each, the statues reveal a truly surprising meticulousness of detail, which makes them masterpieces of inestimable value: the teeth of the "Youth" can be glimpsed between the lips and are made of silver, the cornea is made of ivory and the of glass was used to model the iris. On the left hand of both you can see the straps that were used to hold the shield, while the empty right hands should have held the sword or, more likely, a staff.
The Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria: tips for your visit
Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria, frequently asked questions:
1. What are the viewing hours and how much do the tickets cost?
The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 8pm. The full ticket costs 10 euros, the reduced price for those aged 18 to 25 is only 2 euros, while minors enter for free.
2. Is the booking mandatory online?
No, purchasing on site is also possible. However, it is advisable to book and purchase tickets in advance, given the limited access to the Hall of the Riace Bronzes.
3. Are there any limitations for seeing the Riace Bronzes?
Yes. Access to the Riace Bronze Room is permitted to groups of up to 20 people at a time. The visit lasts 10 minutes, but first there is a stop in the pre-filter room for about 20 minutes, during which a video will entertain visitors about the works.
4. Which artist sculpted the Riace Bronze statues?
The authors of the statues are anonymous, although they are certainly dated to the 5th century BC. For the technical and stylistic perfection and the harmony of the proportions, the unproven hypothesis is that they were born in the circle of the school of Phidias (the statue of the Younger) and that of Polykleitos (of the Elder).
How to get to the Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria?
The simplest and most convenient way is by train, with the Reggio Calabria Lido station which is a two-minute walk from the museum located in Piazza De Nava. But let's see in detail:
By train:
From Reggio Calabria Centrale station you need to exit onto Piazza Garibaldi, here there will be 16 bus lines waiting for you that lead to the museum. Here they are: lines 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 17, 18, 103, 107, 115, 119, 121, 122, 123, 124. Instead, from the Reggio Calabria Lido station, in Piazza Indipendenza, the museum is two minutes walk.
From the airport:
Once you land at Reggio Calabria airport, there is a city bus service that takes you to the vicinity of the museum with these lines: 27, 28, 113, 115, 118, 119, 122.
By car:
Once the A2 Salerno-Reggio Calabria motorway (formerly A3) has been completed, follow the signs for the A3 motorway northwards until the “Reggio Calabria Porto” exit. Continue on the ring road until you enter the city, walking along Viale Genovese Zerbi up to Piazza Indipendenza. From here you continue along Via Vollaro and immediately, on the left, there is the Museum.
From the Port:
Standing. Just take the uphill road in front of the hydrofoil exit and then continue along Viale Genovese Zerbi up to the Rotonda of Piazza Indipendenza. From here you walk along Via Vollaro and immediately on the left is the Museum.
Riace bronzes: between myth and history
Suspended between myth and reality, the Riace bronzes are a very important heritage of a Greek world that no longer exists. Discover the attraction of the history of the Calabrian bronzes.
Vedi ❯What to see besides the Riace Bronzes
The Bronzes are naturally the masterpiece of the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria. Pride of the city and coveted by museums around the world, the statues found off the coast of Riace Marina alone are worth a visit to the museum. But here there are many valuable testimonies of Magna Graecia, from the statues of the Dioscuri (the twins Castor and Pollux) found in the ancient necropolis of Metaurus (near Gioia Tauro) to the marble statue of the "child" (kouros).
Also in bronze are the "head of the philosopher", which some believe to be Pythagoras, the great mathematician who founded the colony of Kroton (Crotone), and also the findings from Porticello. At the Reggio Emilia museum you can also admire a copy of the rock engravings found in the Grotta del Romito in Papasidero (in the province of Cosenza) and various findings from the classical age of the colonies of Sibari, Kaulonia, Reghion and other cities.
Curiosites about the Reggio Calabria Museum
What's near the museum that houses the Riace Bronzes?
The National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria is located in Piazza De Nava, practically on the Italo Falcomatà seafront, with a splendid view to the south of the imposing cone of Etna, which can be admired here better than anywhere else as it is reflected in the sea of the Strait of Messina. Art Nouveau villas overlook the seafront and works of contemporary art are on display.
What else to see in Reggio Calabria and surrounding areas?
For many, the Italo Falcomatà seafront is the most beautiful kilometer in Italy and ends with an open space called the Arena dello Stretto. In Reggio Calabria, the Cathedral dedicated to the Maria Assunta is worth seeing, renovated after the catastrophic earthquake of 1908; the Aragonese Castle, reopened to the public in 2015 after a long renovation; the “Pasquino Crupi” Palace of Culture, with works of contemporary art including one of the famous “Piazza dʼItalia” by Giorgio De Chirico. North of Reggio Calabria there is Scilla, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, especially in the seaside hamlet of Chianalea di Scilla. Inside, the ghost town of Pentedattilo stands out.
The sentence: “When I saw the Riace Bronzes for the first time, I perceived all the strength of the world in which they had lived. And I felt them human, alive. If I could have placed the palm of my hand on their chest, I could have felt the formidable heartbeat” (Alberto Angela, science TV anchorman).