Calabrian Rentals - PIZZO - LAMEZIA - BRIATICO - TROPEA

Pizzo dates back from the 12th century, as you stroll around Pizzo you notice the charm and character that this unspoilt place has to offer. The tiny cobbled stone streets with their romantic stone houses, ornate monuments and fountains, tiny shops, both old and new a mixture of traditional life.
As you enter the piazza de republican 'the square of the people', you can see and feel the vitality and atmosphere that the properties in Pizzo hold. As you casually sip you coffee 'espresso o cafe' and savor your ice cream 'tartufo' the locally renowned delicacy from this area you realize you are on holiday. The views from the square are exquisite, you can view the marina and harbor, the maritime museum, churches and the most famous 'fountain of commercial' and beautiful apartments looking over the piazza. There are 8km of clear white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters to the East of the piazza.
Pizzo has its own national monument, the castle of Murat.
The fortress now houses the museum and library of napoleon and Murat memorabilia.
See the most famous of Pizzo's Ice Cream IL TARTUFO being prepared by the artist Morino and his brother Raffaele at Chez Toi Gelateria in Pizzo.

Pizzo has been known as ´the city of peace´ but more recently it has been changed to `the city of ice cream for obvious commercial benefit. But to me it's beautiful here in the sun, surrounded by some of the best scenery in the med. Pizzo is located in the Gulf of Saint Eufamia, overlooking the clear blue waters of the Mediterranean sea. Amidst the beauty and splendor that engulfs you, the diversity that is entwined with history, culture and tradition. According to local history Pizzo has Greek origins and it is said that after the Trojan war a colony of Focesi, who survived, escaped and wandered aimlessly until they found the most beautiful place they had ever seen, and they called it ´Napitia´. The locals were then known as NAPITINI and they prospered from the land and the sea. Envied by many they were often attacked and plundered. In the year 300 AD the Saracens reduced the city to ruins, leaving it totally uninhabitable and the few survivors managed to flee the ruins to the east of the city.
It was around 903 that the city was once again repopulated and the settlement was called Pizzo, due to the intricate and delicately woven make up of the city. The translated meaning of Pizzo is that of Lace.
In 1070 it was the Normans turn to rebuild and shape Pizzo with their architecture and the citizens prospered once more.
As the city grew defenses were implemented, walls, towers, moats and fortified areas with a drawbridge. New churches and Monasteries were built and in the 2nd half of the 15th century, Ferdinando the 1st of Aragona built the Aragonese Castle.
October 13th, 1815 Gioacchino Murat, King of Naples and also Napoleon's brother in law was imprisoned and executed in the very same castle and laid to rest in the church of St George the Martyr.

In Pizzo there are numerous churches, THE PIEDIGROTTA, THE MADONNA DEL CARMINE, THE DELLA GRAZIE and many more all with interesting backgrounds and sacred treasures, many of which are national monuments.
Today Pizzo is renowned for it beaches, picturesque views, historic origins and fine architecture. Of course there is IL TARTUFO and ZIBIBBO the local wine, tinned tuna but all this is nothing without the PIZZITANI as they are known, the local people who are warm and welcoming.
This tiny piece of rock that hangs over the sea, this piece of land that has been torn by the elements and by man through the ages has survived and flourished and is even more beautiful than ever.

ST. ROCCO AND ST. FRANCESCO OF PAOLA IN PIZZO

In 1578 the town of Pizzo was hit by a serious plague, people infected were placed in a local leper hospital where they were nursed to health with love of religious people that distinguish themselves, Father Virgilio Milezio (Minor of San Francesco di Paola), that he came from Pizzitani of the monastery of Biatrico. While the plague raged, the population relied on the assistance of S. Rocco Montpelier, who heard the prayer and father, built a church and the Minor of the monastery in his honour. Since the sixteenth century and to the nineteenth century, the sacred place alternating periods of splendour to periods of decline until 1867, when the friars, because of their suppression of religious orders, which left the monastery. The earthquake of 1905 damaged the building, but the great devotion of the people led by Father Pasquale Ferrara of the Minor Order. They rebuilt the building, featuring works of art. Visiting the church, one can see: the Mayor marble altar with polychrome dedicated to St. Rocco; other altars of marble in the nave are dedicated to Our Lady of the Miracle, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and for St.Antonio Padua, in the nave San Leonardo, in Madonna di Pompei and St. Michael the Archangel. Worthy of note are: the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, inaugurated Maundy Thursday, There is an altar dedicated to St. Francis of Paola from 1968 with the statue of 1835, the organ pipes society Ruffati Padua, 1961, the coffered ceiling made wood of 1973 Brother Hippolytus Ritrovato, the dome stressed in the 1963 fresco by the painter Diego Grillo, the precious walnut pulpit by Francesco Gullo, surmounted by esautcheon "Charitas" and the two chapels dedicated to the Holy Crucifix and Baptism of Jesus with an artistic mosaic of 1967. For the jubilee year 2000, the father superior of the time Father Antonio Gimma, added 9 paintings commissioned by the artist Bruno D'Arco.
Moments of life of St. Francis... The devotion of the inhabitants of San Francesco di nation, declared by Pope Pius XII on March 17, 1943. Outside the church you can also visit the monument of Father Pasquale Ferrari, inaugurated on May 25, 1997, the monument is in memory of the fallen and you can see and admire the beautiful landscape, the monument to S. Francesco di Paola 19th place in June 1983, on the Via Nazionale and the tunnel water source built in the fifteenth century. The Church has obtained the title of the parish church by June 29, 1967.

Click to enlarge the map of Pizzo below

La Chiesa di Grazie.

Even as the famous church of the dead, so 'named because' all the dead of Pizzo were buries inside from 1870 to 1889. Pasqualini bodies of the monks were buried in the church. The law has changed and cemeteries were introduced. In 1973 they discovered burial niches and now you can visit them. For a small payment and this is used for the restoration works.

The Matrix Church of St. George the Martyr located in the heart of historic Pizzo.

Built in the second half of the 15th century on the foundations of a per-existing church, it is one of the first and oldest Collegiate of the Diocese of Miletus. Only consecrated in 1587 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St. George, as shows the written archive, which bears the date 1632, the Church has Baroque facade, with beautiful a marble portal, the work of sculptor Fontana, enriched by a fastigio containing the round with the relief of St. George on horseback that pierces the dragon and, on the second floor, the princess and a tower on the rock. To the left the arms of De Mendoza, lords of Miletus and, right, the emblem of the city.
The Church, several times severely damaged by earthquakes, was subjected to extensive and expensive reconstructions.
Until the eighteenth century it had two tall towers, which were then shortened on the spires and towers, because of their precarious stability and low resistance to seismic tremors.
On the right there is a mechanical clock added in the nineteenth century by the Company F.lli Solari and 3 bronze bells, large, medium and small, the first in 1727, other recast respectively in 1879 and in 1929. The interior, which is large and majestic, is a Latin cross, with a nave, transept surmounted by a dome at the main nave, which relies on lateral arches with pseudocolonnato Corinthian.
The altar is in polychrome marbles (sec.XIX).
In the Church there are marble statues of the best workmanship: St. Anthony of Padua (XVI), Madonna and Child, traditionally revered as "Madonna of the People" (XVI), coming from the Convent of San Antonio, destroyed by the earthquake of 1783, both of Gagini school, St. John the Baptist (photo) (XVI), from the Monastery of St. Augustine, destroyed in 1783, traditionally attributed to Pietro Bernini, St. Catherine of Alexandria (photo ) (XVI), the work of sculptor Charles M. Canale, St. Francis of Assisi (seventeenth century), from the Convent of St. Anthony, author unknown.
And again: marble slab with bas-relief, representing the Pieta and lunotto with God the Father (1st half of' 15th century), Bartholomew and Antonino Berrettaro.

Good to taste in all seasons is the ice cream of Pizzo and, in particular, the "truffle of Pizzo." It is a typical specialty craft that draws from years of experience and meets the palates of all visitors and must be eaten as it is part of the fame of Pizzo.
The Masters gelatai to Pizzo, with their secret ingredients in determining prepare truffles, cassate, ice cream cakes and many other specialty tastes. Delicious and unparalleled, much to deserve mention in the magazines and accreditation by the appreciation of customers more gluttonous, demanding and refined.
With up to 14 Gelaterias, Pizzo deserves to be recognized as the "City of Ice Cream." Among the recent initiatives undertaken by the Local and Masters Gelatai for pruomuovere the ice cream Pizzo, to be reported as "Organic Ice Cream", produced for the first time at the Biodomenica in 2002 eil "Gelato Rosa", created to greet the passage in the city 86 ° Giro d'Italia in June 2003.

Vino "Zibibbo"

This is a wine sometimes hard to find. Almost a white nectar produced from the same name and sweet local grapes in the area of Pizzo is a perfect ripening on the hills in the upper part and under the healthy climate dell'attraente city.
Historical moment: the grape originates in Egypt, found in the Mediterranean basin thanks to the Romans.
It 'a type of grape widely grown as table grapes and for drying. The name derives from the word Zibibbo in North Africa, which means dried grapes.
Characters Ampelografici: leaf average trilobata sometimes pentalobata - bunch large, elongated, cone-pyramid, winged, semispargolo - berry big ovoide with thick skin, consisting of yellowish-green colour.
And 'particularly sensitive to smell and mildew.
Aging: medium-late
Vigour: high
Characteristics of wine: straw yellow wine with golden hues, sweet and high in alcohol.
Used for winemaking, is grown for direct consumption or as dried grapes.
And 'used for the production of wine DOC of Pantelleria, as passito, moscato and sparkling.

PEPERONCINO and ´NDUJA OF CALABRIA

The spicy chilli was used as a food since the ancient times. In Europe, chilli arrived with Christopher Columbus who brought from the Americas. The peperoncino or chilli is widely used in Calabria and none so much a Pizzo who have adopted this firely little morsel as their own. Many specialities including chilli are available in Pizzo as well as the Museum of Chilli on Via san Francesco run by Laura.
The ´Nduja (from the French andouille,Ndujal) is widely used in foods.

A must to visit while you are in the area, which is located you can walk. The church is carved directly into the side of the mountain and the legend, was built by shipwrecked sailors in 1670. The legend continues that the ship was caught in a storm and the captain fearing the worst harvest for the crew and to pray before the Virgin Mary. He promised that if they are to survive would build a church in his honour. The storm actually do its worst and destroyed the ship casting crew to the waters below. They were all washed up on a small beach and find premises. They also found a painting of the Virgin Mary unharmed on a rock close by, undamaged and vertical...ey placed the painting in a cave and set down while rest. Later that night, another terrible storm hit the area and when the locals went to collect the painting the next day was washed into the sea and returned once again the exact same place as before. This was presented to the heavenly powers and with the miracle of seamen survival, and the miracle of painting the captain decided to build the church has promised much on the spot.
The Piedigrotta was added to through the centuries mainly thanks to local artist Angelo Barone and has devoted his time for growth and maintenance of Piedigrotta. His son and nephew have brought the tradition of Piedigrotta the more popular than ever. This quiet with his character and history are a must see in the area.

Castle Murat

Probably the most important historical event to happened in Pizzo. Joachim Murat attempt on October 8, 1815, to regain the Kingdom of Naples. The most significant scenes of the last moments of life of Murat has been restored through a sceene of costumed life-size mannequins from his imprisonment to his exacution.
Ground floor of the castle consists of the castles prisons cells. These cells held the soldiers and officers of murattiana troops. They were taken prisoners near Marina Pizzo on their landing in October 8, 1815.
-- Army and guard place.
-- Documents, prints and maps about the origins of aragonese castle.

Upper floor:
-- Historical Hall, where some specimens of Murat and his wife, Carolina Bonaparte, are exposed paintings. The original paintings are in museums media European capitals.
-- Murattiana Provincial Library, where numerous books on Murat and the Napoleonic period are required, (written in English and in French and English) and books on ancient history and modern Calabria.
-- Showcases with findings and publication on murattiana age.
-- Acceptance gallery where people can admire some copies and reproductions
of antique items and murattiani famous paintings that represent different moments in the life of Murat. On a plaque are the words that impressed Alexander Dumas wrote in his travel diary when he was in Pizzo, October 13, 1835, trustily reconstruct the story of Joachim Murat tragedy. Among the most valuable pieces, Murat there is a marble bust made by his personal friend, French sculptor Jean Jaques Catex. The bust was given to Castle Peak in 1950 by Princess Nicole Murat, a descendant of King of Naples.
-- - Chamber of proof, where the military committee met to sentence Murat draught. In the great hall of the castle there is exposed a collection of 103 coins original period ", coins and People", which are well preserved. The careful selection of numismatic treasure the little stimulates the trip in the south of Italy, telling several sorties about people and their families, military clashes and revolutions for 14 centuries of history. Since Tiberius It's "Follis" (578 - 582) of Francis' s II "10 Tornesi" (1859 - 1860). A politician - historical and artistic contribution to citizens and visitors to the castle, hoping that the Mediterranean civilizations and cultures become a message of peace and prosperity for future generations.
-- - Murat prison where he was closed on the second day after it was taken prisoner and where, shortly before his execution, has received comfort from religious priest Antonio Thomas Masdea (in the afternoon on Friday, October 13, 1815).
-- - The place where he was shot in Friday October 13, 1815, at 5 pm and where he said his last words "aimed at my chest, save my face."