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Visit Locri
Locri is an ancient Greek settlement (and now also a resort and marina) at the far end of southern Italy, overlooking the Ionian Sea, one of the most beautiful and cleanest of the seas that surround Italy.
Locri history
Locri, was founded in the first half of the 7th century BC by Dorian colonists. The name 'Locri Epizefiri' came from Cape Zefirio - so named because of the strong west wind called the Zephyr. It was a city of considerable importance in Ancient Greece.
It was famous in antiquity for being the native land of Zeleuco, considered to be the first legislator of the whole Hellenic World. There remain some fragments of his 'written laws' (14 fragments in all). Examples: 'the patient who has been drinking wine against the advice of a doctor must be sentenced to death' and 'adulterers should be deprived of both eyes'.
In 205 BC during the second Punic War Locri was conquered by the Romans. Its ruins are located at three kilometres from the present town of Locriand consist of some masonry, Greek necropolis and two temples (the Ionic temple of Marasà and the Doric temple of Marafioti). Locri was well known for its pottery workshops, and its pictures depicting the cycle of Persephone, the divine protector of Locri: many of these pictures, called 'pinakés, were found in the Temple of Persephone; for the most part they belong to the fifth century B.C., but recent excavations have unearthed new finds.
To reach the excavations at Locri take the road 106 in a southerly direction from Gerace.
The first place you reach is the Archaeological Museum which contains some extraordinary artifacts: a red-figured krater, attributed to the Painter from Locri (4th century BC); a beautiful 'female head' (4th century B.C.); a bronze helmet (3rd century BC) and many other artefacts.
Behind the museum there are the ruins of the Temple of Masarà, which was built at two different times: the first dating from the seventh century BC, and the second to the fifth century BC. The excavations have revealed, among other things, a wonderful equestrian statue of the 'Dioscures' (Castor and Pollux, Zeus sons] and the statue of a Nereid. The major discovery is the so-called Ludovisi Throne (5th century BC), which shows Aphrodite - this is a bas-relief, the sides decorated with figures of girls, one of whom lays the incense and another is sitting on a pillow.
Next to the temple is a fine view of the ruins of the mighty fortress walls and of the ancient majestic tower called the Parapizza.
Continuing south you can see the ruins of the ancient Theatre of Locri, the 'Cavea' and 'Scene' while to the northeast you find the 'House Marafioti', which stands on the base of the temple dedicated to Zeus (VI-V century BC) - it is here that some plates in bronze bearing aspects of economic life of Locri have been found. A female statue, dating from the second half of the fifth century B.C., and a soldier on horseback supported by a sphinx (V century) have been found in the House Marafioti.
Returning towards the Archaeological Museum you come across some ruins of the thermae (of Roman origin), and, continuing to the place called Mannella you can see the Sanctuary of Persephone (dating from the second half of the fifth century B.C.), in which about 200 terra-cotta votive offerings have been found, with scenes from the myth of Persephone (Persephone was kidnapped, according to myth, by Hades). A beautiful statue of Persephone, discovered by chance in Locri, was stolen in the early twentieth century and taken to Germany and now is in the Alt Museum in Berlin. Many old coins were also stolen but there remain various examples in the Museum of Archaeology.
Places to visit near Locri
A visit to ancient Locri will take place at the same time as a visit to nearby medieval Gerace, the two together providing an interesting contrast
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Places to visit near Locri, Italy
Places to visit: Gerace (6km).
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