Reggio di Calabria is a city in southern Italy, capital of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria, and the twenty-first most populous city in Italy after Modena. Reggio was the capital of Magna Graecia. It was the first city to take the name of Italy, founder of the ononymous name, formerly populated by Italics. It is the third economic centre of mainland Southern Italy, the city proper has a population of more than 200,000 inhabitants spread over 236 square kilometres (91 sq mi), while the fast-growing urban area numbers 260,000 inhabitants. About 560,000 people live in the metropolitan area, recognised in 2015 by Italian Republic as a metropolitan city and is the 100th most populated city in the EU.