Half-Day Trip from Catanzaro: Pizzo

Pizzo, located just 40 minutes from Catanzaro on the Tyrrhenian Coast is full of history, intrigue and some of the best homemade gelato in the country. Don’t believe me? Just read on.

This medieval village sits atop a steep peninsula overlooking the Gulf of St. Eufemia with the Mongiana and Serra San Bruno parks rising in the distance. Founded by a Focesi tribe in the 12th Century BC, it is rumored both the Roman orator Cicero and Saint Peter visited the town and Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother-in-law, the former King of Naples, was imprisoned here.

One of the most charming sites in the town is the Chiesetta di Piedigrotta. According to legend, a group of sailors were caught in a storm just off of the coast of Pizzo. Fearing an imminent death, the captain gathered his crew and together they prayed to the Madonna, promising to build a church in her honor in exchange for their safe landing.

When they landed on the shore unscathed, they kept their promise and built an alter inside a nearby cave. The cave is carved entirely in tufa stone and over the years local artists and sculptors have added to the display. Light seeping into the cave from the overhead crevices and nearby ocean cast a dramatic glow on the statues.

In the main square, bars line both sides of the piazza with signs boasting the best tartufo in town-but only three of them make artigianale, homemade gelato that is prepared onsite. For the real deal, try Bar Gelateria Ercole, Bar Belvedere or Bar degli Amici and be sure to report back. We’d love to know which one of these bars gets your vote!

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