A sacred echo of poetry where the sea speaks and the sky remembers

Between Memory and Vision — A Literary Tribute Along Reggio Calabria’s Lungomare

Along the scenic Lungomare Falcomatà, Reggio Calabria’s most beloved promenade, a unique tribute rises beside the sea. This is the stele dedicated to Giovanni Pascoli, one of Italy’s most cherished poets. It stands near the Tommaso Gulli High School, welcoming visitors with quiet elegance.

At the end of the 19th century, Pascoli spent time in Reggio Calabria. He was teaching Latin Literature at the University of Messina, just across the Strait. During this period, he met the famous Reggian scholar Diego Vitrioli. Their meeting deeply influenced him.

In fact, this friendship inspired one of Pascoli’s most evocative pieces. The verses engraved on the front of the stele are from Un poeta di lingua morta, featured in Pensieri e discorsi. Through this poem, the landscape becomes a living symbol:
“This sea is full of voices and this sky full of visions…”

Consequently, the poem transforms Reggio into a sacred space. Greek and Latin legacies merge in its waves. The morning glows with silvery light, while the evening radiates soft purples, like seashells reflecting the past. Despite the passage of time, poetry endures where history fades.

Moreover, the stele features a second tribute. On the reverse side, the Latinist Giuseppe Morabito — another notable Reggio native — honors Pascoli in Latin. His words deepen the monument’s cultural significance and reinforce its timeless voice.