Riace Bronzes: the Greek warriors and Reggio Calabria's Archaeological Museum

The Riace Bronzes are two life-size statues of Greek warriors, cast in bronze in the 5th century BC and recovered in 1972 from the seabed of the Ionian Sea, off Riace Marina. They remain among the most celebrated ancient sculptures to survive to this day, and on their own they justify a stop in Reggio Calabria.

Today the two warriors, Statue A and Statue B, are kept in a climate-controlled room of the National Archaeological Museum (MArRC), which gathers the treasures of Calabria's Magna Graecia. Seeing them up close, in silence, remains an experience out of the ordinary: who made them, who they portray and how they ended up in the sea are still open questions.

The discovery and the restoration

On 16 August 1972 the Roman chemist Stefano Mariottini, on holiday at Riace Marina, went for a free dive a few metres from the shore. At a depth of about ten metres he saw a dark shoulder emerging from the sand: he touched it, recognised the bronze and freed an arm, then a face, with his hands. The recovery of the two statues, lying on their right side about three hundred metres from the beach, took place a few days later, between 21 and 22 August, carried out by Carabinieri divers, who brought them ashore using air-filled balloons. Covered in marine concretions and casting earth, the statues reached Florence in January 1975, where they spent five years in the workshops of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure: restorers freed them from the encrustations and emptied their interior. At the end of 1980 the two warriors were shown to the public for the first time, restored, before returning to Calabria for good.

The two warriors: Statue A and Statue B

The two statues, about two metres tall, depict nude warriors who once held a shield and a spear, both now lost along with their helmets. They were cast in bronze using the lost-wax technique and finished with striking detail: veins standing out under the skin, copper eyelashes and lips, silver teeth in Statue A. Statue A has an athletic build and a proud gaze, its head turned slightly; Statue B, heavier in build, bears the marks of a later intervention on the right arm, perhaps added in Roman times. Seen up close, the two figures do not look identical: their pose, apparent age and character all differ, and it is precisely this difference that has fuelled, for decades, the theories about who made them and who they portray.

Attribution and dating: an identity still unresolved

The two statues are dated to around 460-430 BC, right at the height of great Classical Greek sculpture, but neither their authors nor the figures they portray have ever been established with certainty. Over the decades, the names put forward have included Phidias, Myron, Alcamenes, Onatas of Aegina and Pythagoras of Rhegion, often attributing the two statues to two different sculptors. One widespread theory links Statue A to a master from the Argive school close to Myron, and Statue B to Alcamenes, trained in Athens: the two figures would then have come from different workshops before ending up together in a single monument, perhaps a votive group dedicated in a Greek sanctuary. No ancient source explicitly mentions the two statues, and this silence is one of the reasons the scholarly debate has never been settled.

The National Archaeological Museum of Magna Graecia

The Bronzes are not alone: they are kept in the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria, housed in the Palazzo Piacentini on the city's seafront and commonly known as the MArRC. After years of renovation and expansion works, the museum reopened its galleries to the public in 2016 with a new layout spread over several floors. It is one of the most important museums in the world for the art of Magna Graecia, telling through pottery, coins, gold objects and sculpture the story of the Greek colonies along the Calabrian coast, from Locri to Rhegion, from Medma to Kaulonia. Among its most important pieces are the Kouros of Rhegion, an archaic statue in Parian marble under a metre tall, and the Head of the Philosopher and the Basel Head, two 5th-century-BC bronze heads recovered from the Porticello wreck, off Villa San Giovanni. The visit route leads, at the end, straight into the room of the two warriors.

The climate-controlled room: how the Bronzes are conserved

Before entering the room of the Bronzes, visitors pass through a small filter space, designed to protect the statues from temperature changes and outside air. The two warriors are kept in a climate-controlled room, with temperature and humidity held constant all year round: a measure needed to slow down the corrosion of the bronze and protect the traces of copper and silver still present on the statues' surface, from the eyes to the teeth of Statue A. Access to the room is regulated for conservation reasons, with small groups at a time, but once inside you can walk around the two statues and view them from every side, with no glass or barriers between viewer and bronze. It is a display designed for long-term conservation rather than dramatic effect, but the result is that the Bronzes reach the visitor the way they should be seen: up close, in silence.

How to reach the museum from the seafront

The MArRC is right in the heart of Reggio Calabria, in a building overlooking the seafront, a short walk from the sea and the Strait of Messina. Travellers arriving by train can get off at Reggio Calabria Lido station, about two minutes' walk from the museum across Piazza Indipendenza; from the Centrale station the distance is instead about three kilometres, walkable along Corso Vittorio Emanuele or reachable by city bus. Those arriving by car along the A2 Mediterranean motorway exit at the Reggio Calabria toll gate and head towards the seafront, where paid parking is available near the museum. From the Strait airport, a few kilometres south of the city, the centre is reached in a few minutes by regional train or taxi. Once you have parked the car or stepped off the train, the visit pairs well with a walk along the Falcomatà seafront, right in front of the museum.

What to see nearby: Reggio, the Strait and the Costa Viola

The museum works well as the centrepiece of a longer day in the Strait area. In Reggio Calabria you'll find the historic centre, the cathedral, the Aragonese Castle and the Falcomatà seafront: a full day is enough to combine the Bronzes with the rest of the city, following an itinerary you can plan starting from the Reggio Calabria in a day guide. Heading north along the coast, Villa San Giovanni is the ferry port for Sicily and a good base between the Strait and the Costa Viola. Further north you reach Scilla, with the Chianalea district overlooking the water, and the Costa Viola, the stretch of cliffs and coves between Bagnara and Palmi. If you have an extra day, inland towards the Aspromonte there is Pentedattilo, the half-abandoned village set into the rock, named after its five peaks.

Where to stay: holiday homes on the Costa Viola

Reggio Calabria is easily visited in a day, but for a longer stay in the Strait area, the best base is the Costa Viola, the coastline stretching north between Bagnara Calabra and Palmi. Here our holiday homes are self-contained flats and apartments, often with sea views towards Sicily, designed for families and small groups who want to move around independently: mornings on the beach or through the lanes of a village, afternoons in Reggio for the Bronzes and the Falcomatà seafront, evenings back on the coast for dinner. Every home has its own kitchen and independent spaces, convenient if you're travelling with children or want flexible timing, away from a hotel's routine. Check the availability of our homes on the Costa Viola and send us a direct request: we'll get back to you with the option that best fits the days of your holiday.

Frequently asked questions about the Riace Bronzes

How much does the ticket to see the Riace Bronzes cost?
The full MArRC ticket costs 10 euros and includes access to the whole museum, Bronzes included; entry is free for under-18s.

When is the museum closed?
The MArRC is closed on Mondays. On other days it is open from 9:00 to 20:00, with last entry at 19:30.

Are the Riace Bronzes still in Riace, or are they in Reggio Calabria?
They were found in the sea off Riace Marina, but since their restoration in the 1970s they have been kept and displayed at the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria, about 130 kilometres from Riace.

How do you get to the museum from the Reggio Calabria train station?
The most convenient stop is Reggio Calabria Lido, two minutes' walk from the museum; from the Centrale station it is instead about three kilometres, walkable or reachable by city bus.

Why are the two statues called Statue A and Statue B?
Because the identity of the two warriors has never been established with certainty: scholars conventionally refer to them as Statue A, the younger-looking one, and Statue B, with more mature features.

What else is there to see at the museum besides the Riace Bronzes?
The Kouros of Rhegion, an archaic statue in Parian marble, the Head of the Philosopher and the Basel Head, two 5th-century-BC bronze heads recovered off Villa San Giovanni, as well as pottery, gold objects and coins from Calabria's Greek colonies.