Town in the province of Reggio Calabria, Melito di Porto Salvo stands on a hill that slopes gently towards the Ionian Sea. It is the largest municipality of the Greganica area and for centuries its history has been tied to the one of the ancient Byzantine district of Pentedattilo (from the greek "pentedaktylos", which means five fingers), and for the morphology of the cliff on which it stands, similar to a hand.
Several historians argue on its origins: Pentedattilo was probably founded in the Byzantine era, but recent studies have revealed that, in Roman times, in this area was located a "statio" (coach station), also featured in the Antoniniano Itinerary, as a rest stop along the ancient Via Traiana (also known as Licinia-Constantina).
The district of Lembo is the southernmost point of the Italian peninsula.
Not to miss:
The Shrine of Our Lady of Porto Salvo, which was erected in the XVI century, in a point on the coast which offered a safe bay for vessels and has become, over the ages, an important place of pilgrimage.