Pizzo Calabro

Historical Pizzo (pop. 9028) is very famous because it is the place where the king of naples Gioacchino Murat was captured and shot, Napoleone Bonaparte’s brother in law. His body was bayoneted in the Aragonese castle. Pizzo is also famous because it is the home town of Benedetto Musolino, patriot and conspirator of the Italian Risorgimento. In summer time the historical centre of this village is among the most lively and characteristic place in Calabria. Tuna fishing and canning are very important for the local economy which together with the beach draw many people from the hinterland of Vibo.

The village is situated on a high slope and gives the impression of being in a corner of Naples because of its lanes, its two main street linked by small stairs, its houses with balconies adorned by geraniums, its shops, fountains, smell of fish coming from fishing shops, its churches and its Spuntone from where you can enjoy the view of the sea from Lamezia to Capo Vaticano. The locality of Marinella is the main beach area, here the sand is fine, soft, white and also rocky.

Famous delicacies are tuna in olive oil and the famous ice cream tartufo. Visitors can see the Matrice Church famous for Murat’s sepulchre. The interior has one nave, communicating chapels, neoclassical frescoes and the marble statues of Madonna del Popolo, San Francesco d’ Assisi, Sant’Antonio da Padova and San Giovanni Battista. Very nice is also the Church of San Francesco da Paola with its wooden statue representing the Madonna del Buon consiglio ( XVI century) and other paintings. This Church is annex to the Convent of Minimi, a Reinassance building.

The small church of Piedigrotta was carved out of the high tufaceous cliff very close to the Piedigrotta beach. Inside there is an original crib with tens of statues cut out of the same tufa by a local artist called A. Barone.

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