Versace and Calabria's Bronze Riace warriors

If Pythagoras is the ancient mark of Calabria and Aloysius that of the Renaissance, then the Versace family is its modern face. Founders of the worldwide fashion chain, Gianni and Donatella were born in Reggio di Calabria, a Calabrian town facing the island of Sicily.

The Versace children learnt dress-making from their mother, hunting out gems and braid to embroider dresses as Gianni, the younger brother, studied the architecture of his homeland.

The city of Reggio di Calabria is renowned for its art nouveau buildings, a modern splash amongst the ancient Greek and Roman influences. Reggio's National Museum of Magna Grecia is also home to the Bronze Riace statues, found at the bottom of the sea by a scuba diver in 1972. They are exceptional sculptures of high Greek art.

A walk along Reggio di Calabria's panoramic waterfront boulevard and through its botanic garden is a popular evening pastime, absorbing the style of the city's buildings and the reflection of lights over the strait.

The largest of Calabria's cities, Reggio still maintains a peaceful, almost rural feel. The area around the city is predominantly agricultural. In particular, it's lush with crops of high quality bergamot, a few drops perhaps for the Blue Jeans, Pour Homme and Man designer perfumes of the Versace collection.