Pizzo Calabro
Pizzo Calabro City of indisputable charm, perched on a promontory facing the Tyrrhenian sea. After the capital, it is the most populous center in the province. Its origins are remote (documented as early as 1300, so it is thought prior to this date). According to tradition, it was founded by a community of Phocians who survived the destruction of Troy (the name of their leader would derive the name “Napitini” with which the inhabitants of Pizzo are indicated). The name “Pizzo” probably refers to the fact that it rises on the edge of the coast, a position where it was rebuilt after its foundation, probably after being destroyed by pirates. It then passed under the various domains that followed one another in the region, each of which has left traces. Today it is one of the most beautiful and most visited tourist centers in the region.
The Aragonese Castle (National Monument), built in the second half of the 15th century by Ferdinand of Aragon, famous because Giocchino Murat (King of Naples and brother-in-law of Napoleon Buonaparte) was imprisoned here. Murat, an imposing figure in southern historical events, was brought here before being shot in 1815 (he came with his men from Corsica to overthrow the Bourbons). To visit the historical center, that is the most beautiful part of the city. Do not miss the characteristic church of Piedigrotta, excavated in the sandstone by some shipwrecked in the seventeenth century and located by the sea, which houses many sculptures by Angelo Barone, a local artist who lived in the nineteenth century. The statues, later completed by his son Alfonso, represent events from the Gospel. Among the religious buildings, many of which contain valuable works, we also remember: the church of San Giorgio Martire, built in 1500 on an even older structure; the 17th century church of Purgatory and Santa Maria delle Grazie; the church of the Immaculate Conception; the church of the Carmine of 1300; the sixteenth-century church of San Francesco di Paola; the sixteenth century church of San Sebastiano. A visit is also recommended to the Museum of the Sea (it houses, among other things, thousands of shells) and to the Murattiano Museum (housed in the castle).
Words by: http://www.vibonesiamo.it/
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