Riace

Riace
Comune
Comune di Riace

Coat of arms
Riace
Location of Riace in Calabria
Riace
Riace (Italy)
Coordinates: 38°25′N 16°29′E / 38.417°N 16.483°E / 38.417; 16.483
Country Italy
Region Calabria
Metropolitan city Reggio Calabria (RC)
Government
  Mayor Domenico Lucano
Area
  Total 16.24 km2 (6.27 sq mi)
Elevation 300 m (1,000 ft)
Population (30 November 2016)[1]
  Total 2,343
  Density 140/km2 (370/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Riacesi
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code 89040
Dialing code 0964
Patron saint Saints Cosmas and Damian
Website Official website

Riace (Calabrian: Riàci) is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of Catanzaro and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) northeast of Reggio Calabria. Riace borders the municipalities of Camini and Stignano.

It is notable as the place where the Bronzi di Riace (Riace bronzes), bronze statues of warriors, were found in the sea in 1972. These Ancient Greek sculptures can be seen in the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia (National Museum of Magna Graecia, i.e. the colonies of Greater Greece) in Reggio Calabria.

Feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian (2010).

Riace has also reached worldwide attention through its innovative approach to dealing with refugees,[2] in the context of the European migrant crisis. About 450 refugees have settled there among the 1,800 inhabitants, revitalising the village and preventing the closure of the village school.[3][4] The mayor, Domenico Lucano, came second runner-up in the 2010 World Mayor competition. (The winner was the Mayor of Mexico City, which has about nine million inhabitants.)[5] He was also listed by Fortune as one of the world's greatest leaders in 2016[4][6] featuring at number 40 in the magazine's listing.[7] Lucano is currently under house arrest for setting up fraudulent associations so immigrants could take over trash disposal contracts, and arranging marriages of convenience for immigrants to remain in Italy. Lucano’s companion, Tesfahun Lemlem, is also under investigation and may lose her Italian residency.

References

  1. All demographics and other statistics from the Italian statistical institute (Istat)
  2. Sreenivasan, Hari (April 3, 2016). PBS NewsHour Weekend. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  3. Ash, Lucy (10 January 2011). "Italian mayor saves his village by welcoming refugees". BBC News. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  4. 1 2 Poggioli, Sylvia (April 12, 2016). NPR Morning Edition (radio). National Public Radio. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  5. World Mayor 2010 results
  6. "Riace: The Italian village abandoned by locals, adopted by migrants". BBC News. 25 September 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  7. "World's Greatest Leaders". Retrieved 2016-04-13.

See also


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