Un calice per Circe 2026 at Castello Ruffo, Scilla: Calabrian wine and myth

Castello Ruffo di Scilla · Scilla, Costa Viola, Calabria

15 October 2026 – 31 October 2026

From 15 to 31 October 2026 the upper area of Castello Ruffo in Scilla hosts “Un calice per Circe – Vino, mito e suggestioni” (A glass for Circe – wine, myth and atmosphere), run by the municipality of Scilla with the local Pro Loco to bring visitors to the Costa Viola after the summer season. The programme combines guided tastings of native Calabrian wines, samples of local food from short supply chains and storytelling about the myth of Circe and Scylla, with the Strait of Messina below the castle rock. Opening times, the day-by-day calendar, prices and booking details have not been published yet: before you go, check with the Comune di Scilla (switchboard +39 0965 754003) or the Pro Loco's channels.

What “Un calice per Circe” offers

“Un calice per Circe – Vino, mito e suggestioni” brings wine into Castello Ruffo, in the upper area of the fortress overlooking the Strait of Messina. The announced programme has three strands: guided tastings of native Calabrian wines, with the stated aim of promoting the Costa Viola; samples of local food products from short supply chains; and storytelling about the myth of Circe and Scylla, which is set in this very stretch of sea.

The initiative is promoted by the municipality of Scilla together with the local Pro Loco and, according to the official presentation, is meant to promote tourism outside the peak season: stretching the year for a village that fills up in summer and quietens down in autumn. The wineries taking part and the wines being poured have not been announced.

Dates, times and where to get information

The initiative runs from Thursday 15 to Saturday 31 October 2026. The sources published so far give only this period: they do not say whether tastings take place every day or on specific dates, at what time, how much they cost, how many places there are or whether booking is needed.

For these details, call the Comune di Scilla switchboard on +39 0965 754003 or follow the Pro Loco di Scilla, which has a website plus Facebook and Instagram pages. The official listing is on URPinRETE, the public information portal of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria.

The myth of Circe and Scylla

The title recalls one of the stories most closely tied to this headland. In Ovid's Metamorphoses (books XIII and XIV), the sea god Glaucus falls in love with the nymph Scylla, who rejects him. Glaucus asks the sorceress Circe for a love potion; Circe, in love with him herself and turned down, instead pours a poison into the cove where the nymph used to bathe, and Scylla becomes a monster with six dog heads who goes to live in a hollow rock in the Strait, near the cave of Charybdis.

Circe also appears in the Odyssey: in book X she welcomes Ulysses' companions with a bewitched feast and turns them into animals; in book XII she advises the hero to sail closer to Scylla than to Charybdis, and Scylla devours six of his sailors. The village's name itself, from the Greek Skýla, “bitch”, refers to the monster of the myth.

Costa Viola wines and terraced vineyards

The Costa Viola (Violet Coast) is the roughly 35-kilometre stretch of Tyrrhenian coast north of Reggio Calabria, between the Strait of Messina and the lower Tyrrhenian Sea, home among others to Scilla, Bagnara Calabra and Palmi. It is a high, steep coast where the Aspromonte mountains drop almost straight into the sea, and the landscape is marked by terraces planted with vines above the cliffs. The name comes from the violet hues the sea and mountains take on at sunset, a description tradition traces back to Plato.

Calabria's IGT (protected geographical indication) wines include both “Costa Viola” and “Scilla”; the latter is reserved for red and rosé wines made in the municipality of Scilla alone. Which wines and producers will be at the castle has not been announced: according to the presentation, the tastings cover native Calabrian wines in general.

Castello Ruffo, the fortress above the Strait

Castello Ruffo stands on the headland that separates the beaches of Marina Grande and Chianalea, about 20 kilometres north of Reggio Calabria. The rock was first fortified in the early 5th century BC, when Anaxilas, tyrant of Rhegion, built defences against Etruscan pirates; in the Middle Ages the Basilian monastery of San Pancrazio stood here, and in 1255 Pietro Ruffo strengthened the fortress on the orders of King Manfred.

In 1543 the castle was bought by Paolo Ruffo, and the family made it their residence, restoring the baronial palace. Damaged by the earthquakes of 1783 and 1908, since 1913 it has housed the Scilla lighthouse, a small white tower still in use and run by the Italian Navy. Today it is a cultural centre hosting exhibitions and conferences: past the entrance bridge, the pointed stone portal still bears the Ruffo coat of arms.

How to get to Castello Ruffo in Scilla

By car, leave the A2 del Mediterraneo motorway at the Scilla exit, which links to the village via the SS737; the SS18 coastal road also runs through Scilla. If you are coming from Sicily, ferries land at Villa San Giovanni, a few kilometres to the south.

By train, Scilla station is on the Battipaglia-Reggio Calabria line and is served by Reggio Calabria suburban trains and by regional trains between Reggio and Cosenza. The castle sits on the rock between Marina Grande and Chianalea; Piazza Matrice works as a reference address. The sources do not mention dedicated parking or shuttles for the event: if you are driving, especially in the evening, ask the Comune or the Pro Loco about parking before you set off.

What to see in Scilla: Chianalea, Marina Grande and Piazza San Rocco

Below the castle, on its northern side, lies Chianalea, the old seafaring quarter with houses built on the rocks and alleys running down to the water, which is why it is nicknamed the “little Venice of the South”; the name comes from “piana delle galee”, the plain of the galleys. The harbour, with its fishing boats, sits between Chianalea and Marina Grande, the village beach enclosed by two rocky ridges and home to the 16th-century church of the Spirito Santo.

Higher up, Piazza San Rocco is a large terrace in the old town looking out over the Strait: on clear days you can see Sicily and some of the Aeolian Islands. For places to eat or stay, see the list of businesses in Scilla; for other events in the province, check the events calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When is “Un calice per Circe” 2026?

From Thursday 15 to Saturday 31 October 2026. The day-by-day calendar and tasting times have not been published yet.

Where do the tastings take place?

In the upper area of Castello Ruffo in Scilla, the fortress on the headland between Marina Grande and Chianalea overlooking the Strait of Messina.

How much does it cost?

No price has been announced, and the sources do not say whether taking part is free or paid. To find out, call the Comune di Scilla on +39 0965 754003.

Do I need to book?

Booking arrangements have not been published. For information, contact the Comune di Scilla or the Pro Loco di Scilla, which is active on Facebook and Instagram.

Which wines can I taste?

Native Calabrian wines, with a particular focus on the Costa Viola. The wineries and wines being poured have not been announced.

Who organises the event?

The municipality of Scilla together with the local Pro Loco, to promote tourism outside the summer season.

What does Circe have to do with Scilla?

In Ovid's Metamorphoses it was Circe, jealous over the sea god Glaucus, who turned the nymph Scylla into the monster living on a rock in the Strait. In the Odyssey, Circe is also the one who warns Ulysses about Scylla and Charybdis.

How do I get to Scilla?

By car on the A2 motorway, Scilla exit, then the SS737; by train to Scilla station on the Battipaglia-Reggio Calabria line. No dedicated parking has been announced.

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