Scilla, Calabria

Scilla

*U Scigghiu* (Sicilian), Template:Lang-el
Scilla U Scigghiu (Sicilian), Template:Lang-el
Comune
	Comune di Scilla
	The Castle of Scilla.
	Coat of arms
	Location of Scilla
	Scilla Location of Scilla in Italy Scilla Scilla (Calabria)
	Coordinates: 38°15′N 15°43′E / 38.250°N 15.717°E
Country	Italy
Region	Calabria
Metropolitan city	Reggio Calabria (RC)
Frazioni	Favazzina, Melia, Solano Superiore
Government
• Mayor	Commissars
Area
• Total	44.13 km2 (17.04 sq mi)
Elevation	91 m (299 ft)
Population (1 January 2017)
• Total	4,901
• Density	110/km2 (290/sq mi)
Demonym	Scillesi
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	89058
Dialing code	0965
Patron saint	St. Roch
Saint day	August 16
Website	Official website

Scilla (Template:Lang-scn; Template:Lang-el) is a town and comune in Calabria, Italy, administratively part of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria. It is the traditional site of the sea monster Scylla of Greek mythology.

Description

The town, 22 kilometres (14 mi) from the city of Reggio, lies in front of the strait of Messina, and is composed of two parts: the downtown, where the town offices and the residence of the patron saint are situated, and Marina di Scilla, the beach-front, populated by tourists and thus heavily characterized by hotels and restaurants. Its beach is the first place north of Reggio Calabria where the waters are not cooled by the strait draughts.

Scilla's coastal district of Chianalea is included in the I Borghi più belli d'Italia association of small Italian towns of historical interest list.^[3]

The Ruffo Castle, a fortress built by the Dukes of Calabria, overlooks the beach. On a seaward-facing terrace is Scilla Lighthouse, an important aid to ships entering the Strait of Messina from the north.

History

It is said that Tyrrhenian pirates were the first to settle this coastal area in 493 BC, but others claim it was already settled during the time of the Trojan Wars in the 12th century BC.^[4]

The town of Scilla has ancient origins that relate mainly to the period of the destruction of Troy and invokes the myths and legends of Ulysses with Scylla and Charybdis, of Homer and Dante Alighieri. The town’s name derives from the mythological figure of Scylla, a young nymph who refused Glauco’s love. He thus went to the sorceress Circe, who was in love with him, and asked her to help him win Scylla’s heart. The offended sorceress poisoned the sea-pool where the nymph used to bathe, turning her into a horrific six dog-headed monster who destroyed every ship crossing the Strait of Messina.^[5] Scylla is said to live in the rock of Scilla, which the Castello di Ruffo sits on.^[4]

The village suffered greatly from the 1783 Calabria earthquakes and the 1908 Messina earthquake.

Geography

The municipality of Scilla includes the subdivisions Favazzina, Melia, and Solano Superiore.

Scilla borders the municipalities of Bagnara Calabra and Villa San Giovanni.

Scilla lays across the Strait of Messina, with Sicily observable from the town. When visibility is clear, the island of Stromboli can also be seen.

Twin towns

Scilla has been twinned with the following:

Ħamrun, Malta

In popular culture

Scilla is one of two primary settings in Elizabeth Street, a 2009 historical novel by Laurie Fabiano that tells of the experiences of a family who emigrates from Scilla to New York City's Little Italy neighborhood in the early 20th century.^[6] Based on the author's family history, it includes a detailed description of the 1908 earthquake and tsunami.