All Places in Pizzo

The Church of San Rocco and San Francesco di Paola is a church in Pizzo, located at the northern limit of the historical center of the town.   SHORT HISTORY In 1578, the plague hit Pizzo and, to put an end to the epidemic, the local people prayed to Saint Roch. The saint answered their prayers and the city was saved. The following year, to please the saint, the locals decided to build a church in his honor. The adjacent convent was built at the same time for the monks belonging to the Order of Minims, founded by Saint Francis of Paola. At the end of the 18th century, the religious orders were suppressed throughout Italy by Napoleon Bonaparte, including the Order of Minims who resided in the convent. In 1905, another earthquake seriously damaged the church, and the reconstruction works were completed only in 1930. In 2013, the church was dedicated to Saint Francis of Paola.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The facade of the church, painted in pale yellow, is 18 meters high, and is adjacent to a bell tower 23 meters high. The facade is decorated by a polychrome rosette, a tympanum and two niches in which are Read more [...]

Bellamana Beach is a small beach located in Pizzo, a few meters away from the historical center of the town. The beach is about 100 meters long and is situated in a small bay at the foot of the rock on which the Murat Castle magnificently stands. In the evening, the promenade around the beach, along the Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo, becomes a meeting point for young people, thanks to the numerous clubs, cafes and restaurants that populate the area.   HOW TO GET THERE The Bellamana Beach is located about 1.3 kilometers away from the Pizzo railway station, or about 20 minutes on foot. To find the beach in no time, use the map below.

Fontana del Commercio (Fountain of Commerce) is a beautiful fountain located in Piazza della Repubblica, the main square of Pizzo Calabro.   SHORT HISTORY The project of the fountain was approved on June 16, 1857, by the mayor Emanuele Alcalà, without the possibility of building it in the immediate future, due to lack of funds. The fountain was realized seven years later, in 1864, on a project by the architect Giuseppe Santulli di Monteleone, for an amount of 1029 ducats. For the construction of the fountain was used the granite from the base of an equestrian statue in marble destroyed in 1860.   ARCHITECTURE The fountain from Piazza della Repubblica is made of granite, with a shell in the center, containing a stylized dolphin inside. The water comes out of seven nozzles, one placed in the central shell, and the other placed in the mouths of six human and anthropomorphic figures.   HOW TO GET THERE Fontana del Commercio is located in Piazza della Repubblica, about 1.4 kilometers away from the Pizzo railway station. To find it on foot, use the map below.

Villa Zagara is a spacious villa in Pizzo, with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, a large terrace and an enclosed parking with automatic gate. Villa Zagara features air conditioning, flat-screen TV, and a kitchen with dishwasher and oven. The villa also offers a seating area and 3 bathrooms with a bath and a bidet.   HOW TO GET THERE Villa Zagara is located about 2.8 kilometers away from the Pizzo railway station. To find easily the villa, use the map below.

Villino Erminia is a bed and breakfast located in an ancient house of the 17th century, in Pizzo. The B&B Villino Erminia is a mix of lights and shapes, past and present, Mediterranean colors and modern elegant lines, the result being an exclusive and refined solution for a relaxing holiday. The renovation of the building lasted over a year and, today, Villino Erminia is a place with all the modern comforts and services, large and comfortable spaces, and a beautiful atmosphere that makes the residence welcoming and unique.   HOW TO GET THERE Villino Erminia is located 30 meters from the beach, at the edge of the historical center of Pizzo, about 1 kilometer from the Pizzo Train Station. To reach the hotel, from any point in the area, use the map below.

Piccolo Grand Hotel is a boutique hotel located in the historical center of Pizzo, about 150 meters away from Piazza della Repubblica and 200 meters from Castello Murat. Piccolo Grand Hotel welcomes you in one of its 17 elegant rooms and suites, with free Wi-Fi, air conditioned, LCD TV and a balcony. Sustainability had a great influence in planning the hotel. They use the power of the sun to produce hot water, the rooms have magnetic cards to optimize the energy consumption, the windows have magnetic contacts, the kitchens use induction for the cooktops and energy-saving LED lights reduce the demand for electricity throughout the house.   HOW TO GET THERE Piccolo Grand Hotel is about 1.6 kilometers away from the Pizzo Train Station. For the right directions, use the map below.

Le Petit B&B is a spectacular bed and breakfast located in the historical center of Pizzo, a few minutes from the beach. The B&B provides a hot tub, a good breakfast, free Wi-Fi, flat screen TV, offering services of the highest quality at an affordable price. The Deluxe Suite consists of two large connected rooms, one with a double bed and the other with two single beds. The Deluxe Suite offers a two-person jacuzzi that will make your stay special.   HOW TO GET THERE Le Petit B&B is located about 100 meters from the Murat Castle and Piazza della Repubblica, and about 1.5 kilometers away from the Pizzo Train Station. If you need directions, use the map below to get to the hotel.

Fontana Garibaldi is an ancient fountain dating back to the 15th century, located in Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, in Pizzo. About the fountain, known before 1866 as Fontanavecchia (Old Fountain), the locals say it has medicinal water which can cure certain diseases. The water that flows from the fountain has a rusty color, something that can easily be noticed in a glass or other transparent container. Even its taste is ferrous, so probably unpleasant for some people, it is drinkable and has healing qualities.   SHORT HISTORY In 1735, Ilario Tranquillo, the author of a book on the ancient Napizia (today’s Pizzo), was talking about the presence of about 80 water springs scattered throughout the territory of the town, fifty to the east and another thirty to the west, from the mountain to the sea, but also, above all, about the existence of two springs with medicinal waters. One of these two fountains is the so-called Fontanavecchia, which since 1866, when it was restored and embellished with a gray granite facade, changed its name to Fontana Garibaldi. It is certain that Fontanavecchia existed before 1571, the year in which the historian Gabriele Barrio published the first edition of his monumental work Read more [...]

Piazza della Repubblica, the main square of Pizzo, overlooks the beautiful Tyrrhenian Sea that bathes the town, flanked by the imposing structure of Castello Murat. The square is the main meeting point for residents and tourists alike. Here, you can find numerous places that allow you to taste some of the delicious local gastronomic products, accompanied by the view of a splendid panorama. In particular, Pizzo is famous for tartufo, a ball of ice cream with a heart of dark chocolate, covered with bitter cocoa powder.   ARCHITECTURE On the western side of Piazza della Repubblica, there is an ancient fort built in the 15th century, known today as the Murat Castle, after Joachim Murat, King of Naples and brother-in-law of Napoleon Bonaparte, who was imprisoned here and sentenced to death in 1815. Also on the western side of the square, near the castle, there is a beautiful terrace known as U Spunduni (The Spike), from which you can admire a beautiful view of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Near the terrace, there is the statue of Umberto I, King of Italy from January 9, 1878, until his assassination on July 29, 1900, to whom the square was previously dedicated. The sculpture Read more [...]

Castello Murat (Murat Castle) is an ancient fort built starting with the 14th century in Pizzo. The castle was named after Joachim Murat, King of Naples and brother-in-law of Napoleon Bonaparte, who was imprisoned here and sentenced to death by shooting in 1815.   SHORT HISTORY The castle was built in two different historical periods. The Mastia Tower (Torre Mastia), the largest tower of the castle, part of the defensive system implemented by the Angevins, dates back to the end of the 14th century. The tower was built for defense against the Saracen raids. About 100 years later, the castle was completed by Ferdinand I of Aragon, for the same purpose – to reject the Saracen attacks. The castle in Pizzo is one of the many fortifications built under the Aragonese rule, in towns like Crotone, Cariati, Corigliano, Belvedere and Reggio Calabria. To the already existing Angevin tower, it was added a massive rectangular body, equipped with a tapered tower and a watchtower overlooking the Marina. The works were started in 1481 and completed in 1485. In 1505, it was ceded by Ferdinand the Catholic to the De Mendoza family and later, by succession, to the De Silva family, Dukes Read more [...]