Location and geographical context
Palizzi is the southernmost village of the Italian peninsula, nestled between the Grappida and Carruso mountains, on the slopes of southern Aspromonte. Its territory extends between the hills and the sea, including the hamlets of Palizzi Superiore, Palizzi Marina, Pietrapennata and Spropoli. It is an important center of the Greek area, characterized by a landscape rich in white gullies, olive groves and stratified historical memories.
Historical notes
The territory of Palizzi has been inhabited since prehistoric times, with documented Paleolithic and Neolithic sites. In the Magna Graecia era, it represented the natural border between Reggio and Locri, marked by the legendary Alece river, also mentioned by Strabo.
It became a fiefdom of the Ruffo family in the 15th century, passed to the Aragona d’Ayerbe family, then to the Colonna family (who rebuilt the castle in 1751), to the Arduino family and finally to the De Blasio family, who were barons until 1806. The village has always had a strategic and symbolic position: its origins are also linked to Pelasgian, Chalcidian and, according to some scholars, Mesopotamian settlements.
The Castle and the Catoja
The imposing medieval Castle, declared a National Monument, dominates Palizzi Superiore. It was renovated several times between the 16th and 19th centuries and still preserves perimeter walls, towers, ogival windows, prisons dug into the rock and the Colonna coat of arms. Today it is one of the most iconic images of the village.
In the historic center there are also the characteristic Catoja (from the Greek katòghio), underground spaces used for food preservation and as shelters during invasions. Many of them are now reused as homes or exhibition spaces.
Art, architecture and spirituality
The Parish Church of the Holy Spirit houses the marble statue of the Blessed Virgin with Child, originally from the Church of Santa Maria dell’Alica, celebrated every 8th May. The latter is located in Pietrapennata, a hamlet at 673 metres above sea level, immersed in a landscape of rare beauty.
Among the important religious buildings:
• the Church of Sant’Anna, with a sixteenth-century statue in archaic style;
• the medieval church of Pietrapennata, with Basilian and Renaissance influences;
• the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell’Alica, guardian of the local Marian devotion.
Wine and tradition
Palizzi is famous for its dry and strong IGT red wine, known as “Palizzi”. The village is a member of the national association Città del Vino. Every year, during the night of San Lorenzo (August 10), “Calici di Stelle” takes place, a food and wine event that brings the cellars and the Catoja back to life with tastings, music and folklore, in collaboration with the Paleariza Festival.
Hamlets and landscapes
• Palizzi Marina is today the most populous hamlet, famous for its sandy beaches and crystal clear sea, easily reachable by train. It is a tourist destination appreciated for its hospitality and local gastronomy, among which the pasta with cuttlefish ink stands out.
• Pietrapennata offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the Aspromonte and the sea. Loved by writers and travellers, such as the landscape artist Cosomati, who dedicated a reportage to it in L’Illustrazione Italiana in 1927.
• Spropoli, near Capo Spartivento, is known as the “village of the marble hills in the valley of the oleanders”, an area of extraordinary natural beauty.
Archaeology and ancient borders
Thanks to the work of archaeologist S. Stranges, a network of prehistoric and Magna Graecia sites has been reconstructed, demonstrating the historical importance of the territory as a point of contact between Reggio and Locri. The Palizzi torrent, according to many scholars, would be the ancient Alece river, which marked this sacred and strategic border.
Characters and memory
In Palizzi Superiore, in 1973, a commemorative fountain was erected in honor of Bruno Misefari, a Calabrian intellectual and anarchist. The limestone structure houses a tombstone in black Belgian marble, which holds the remains of the “gentle rebel”.