Riace Bronzes

In August 1972 a diver spotted an arm protruding from the seabed off Riace, about two hundred metres from shore and eight metres down, and recovered two bronze male figures around two metres tall, cast in the fifth century BC. Almost all large Greek bronzes were melted down in antiquity, so these are among a handful that survive, with inlaid copper lips, silver teeth and eyes of ivory and glass paste. Their identity, sculptor and origin are unresolved. They are displayed in the national museum at Reggio Calabria in a climate-controlled room on anti-seismic bases, entered through a decompression chamber.

What you actually see

• The two warriors - fifth-century BC bronzes about two metres tall.
• The inlaid detail - copper lips, silver teeth and glass-paste eyes.
• The display room - climate-controlled, on anti-seismic mountings.
• The rest of the museum - Magna Graecia finds from across the region.

When to go

Year-round; the museum closes Mondays. Entry to the bronze room is in limited groups through a conditioning chamber, so there can be a short wait.

Honest expectations

Access is in small timed groups with a wait. Photography rules apply. The bronzes are the reason to come; the rest of the museum is uneven.

Nearby

Scilla lies north; Sicily is across the strait.