Sentinelle dell'Orizzonte: Feluca Fishing on the Costa Viola in the Photographs of Arianna Macrì

Galleria di Palazzo San Giorgio · Reggio Calabria, Costa Viola, Calabria

8 August 2026

On Saturday 8 August 2026, the Galleria di Palazzo San Giorgio in Reggio Calabria hosts 'Sentinelle dell'Orizzonte - The poetry of feluca fishing along the Costa Viola', a photography exhibition featuring the work of Arianna Macrì, a photographer from Bagnara Calabra. Open for one evening only, from 6 to 9 pm and with free admission, the show tells the story of the centuries-old tradition of swordfish fishing with the feluca, the iconic boat of the Costa Viola and the Strait of Messina, through an intimate, poetic gaze on the sea and its fishermen.

A photography exhibition on the Costa Viola

On Saturday 8 August 2026, the Galleria di Palazzo San Giorgio in Reggio Calabria hosts 'Sentinelle dell'Orizzonte - The poetry of feluca fishing along the Costa Viola', a photography exhibition featuring the works of Arianna Macrì, curated by 'Eventi a Colori - Roberta Wedding & Event Planner'. The show can be visited for one evening only, from 6 to 9 pm, with free admission. At the heart of this visual story is the traditional swordfish hunt with the feluca, a seafaring ritual that has marked summers along the Costa Viola and the Strait of Messina for centuries.

The works of Arianna Macrì

The photographs on display are by Arianna Macrì, a photographer from Bagnara Calabra, one of the emblematic villages of the Costa Viola. For the author, who spent years living away from Calabria, photography is above all a way to keep alive the bond with her homeland: an affectionate, attentive gaze on the sea, on the fishermen's gestures and on a landscape that is at once home and memory. The subject of the exhibition - feluca fishing - thus springs from the very geography that shaped the author's eye, that of the seafaring villages between Bagnara and Scilla.

The feluca: a watchtower over the sea

The feluca is the emblematic boat of the swordfish hunt. It is recognisable by two unmistakable features: the antenna, a very tall mast - which can exceed twenty metres - turned into a floating observatory, and the passerella, a long gangway jutting out from the bow, from which the fish is harpooned. At the top of the antenna stands the spotter (in dialect 'ntinneri'), who scans the surface and locates the swordfish, often swimming in pairs; along the gangway runs the harpooner ('lanzaturi'), ready to strike with the 'lancia', a two-pronged harpoon of ancient origin. Harpooning directly from the gangway became established around the 1950s; previously, spotting and capture were carried out from a small rowing boat, the 'luntro'. The exhibition's title, 'Sentinelle dell'Orizzonte' (Sentinels of the Horizon), evokes precisely the figure of the spotter: a sentinel suspended between sky and sea, eyes fixed on the horizon.

The Costa Viola and a centuries-old tradition

Swordfish fishing is far more than an economic activity: it is a cultural and identity heritage of the Costa Viola villages, from Bagnara Calabra to Scilla, and on to Chianalea and Palmi. The season runs from early May to the end of August and still preserves propitiatory songs, rites and ancient gestures, such as the 'cardata da cruci', the cross carved on the fish's cheek after the catch as a sign of gratitude and good fortune. It is no coincidence that the traditional fishing of the Strait of Messina is recognised as a Slow Food Presidium and catalogued among Italy's demo-ethno-anthropological heritage. In Bagnara, since the 1960s, the Swordfish Festival (Sagra del Pesce Spada) has celebrated this legacy every summer.

The venue: the Galleria di Palazzo San Giorgio

The exhibition is hosted in the Galleria di Palazzo San Giorgio, in the heart of Reggio Calabria. Palazzo San Giorgio is the city's Town Hall, an Art Nouveau (Liberty style) building designed by Ernesto Basile and inaugurated in 1922, one of the symbols of the city's reconstruction after the 1908 earthquake. On the ground floor opens a wide gallery that runs through the building, connecting Corso Garibaldi with the parallel Via Miraglia: an evocative space, today also used as an exhibition venue for art shows.

Practical information

'Sentinelle dell'Orizzonte' takes place on Saturday 8 August 2026, from 6 to 9 pm, with free admission. The venue, the Galleria di Palazzo San Giorgio (Piazza Italia 1), lies in the city centre, a short walk from the Falcomatà seafront and the Cathedral, with access to the gallery also from Corso Garibaldi. To plan your visit, discover [things to see and do in Reggio Calabria](/attivita?comune=Reggio Calabria) and, if you are travelling from elsewhere, [where to stay in Reggio Calabria](/affitti?comune=Reggio Calabria).

Frequently asked questions

When and where does the 'Sentinelle dell'Orizzonte' exhibition take place?

On Saturday 8 August 2026, from 6 to 9 pm, at the Galleria di Palazzo San Giorgio, in Piazza Italia 1, Reggio Calabria. It is a one-day event.

How much does a ticket cost?

Admission is free.

What is the exhibition about?

It is a photography exhibition dedicated to the traditional swordfish fishing with the feluca along the Costa Viola, told through the images of Arianna Macrì.

What is a feluca?

It is the traditional boat used for the swordfish hunt on the Costa Viola and in the Strait of Messina, recognisable by its very tall 'antenna' - the mast from which the spotter scans the sea - and the long bow gangway from which the fish is harpooned.

Who is the author of the photographs?

The works are by Arianna Macrì, a photographer from Bagnara Calabra, on the Costa Viola. The exhibition is curated by 'Eventi a Colori - Roberta Wedding & Event Planner'.

Where exactly is Palazzo San Giorgio?

In Piazza Italia 1, in the centre of Reggio Calabria: it is the city's Town Hall, a Liberty-style palace with an internal gallery connecting Corso Garibaldi and Via Miraglia. It is easily reached on foot from the Falcomatà seafront.

Do I need to book to visit the exhibition?

No booking is required: you can walk in freely during opening hours, from 6 to 9 pm on 8 August 2026.

Related events and news

All Costa Viola events